From saving the environment to saving humanity
Local good samaritans get their hand's squeaky clean to assist in serving the homeless.
Between getting their hands dirty cleaning the Hennops River in Centurion and getting their hands sanitised to reach out to the homeless, the Hennops Revival NPO has been busy.
Tarryn Johnston, founder of the organisation, told Rekord they had been working non-stop to help relocate the homeless of Centurion since the beginning of lockdown at the end of March.
Johnston and her team had been assisting with feeding the homeless who were moved to various locations around Centurion including the Lyttelton town hall, the Lyttelton art gallery, Supersport Park stadium and the Irene station.
“About 40 people were placed at the town hall, and a little more than 40 were placed at the art gallery. A smaller group was also placed at the stadium and 40 more at the Irene station.”
Johnston said when the initial lockdown was announced, her first worry was what would happen to all the homeless people the organisation had worked with over the years while cleaning the Hennops River.
The team also helped set up the “camps” near the Forest Hill shopping centre.
“We immediately started making plans to assist in conjunction with the metro and other NPOs in the area.”
She said they have been working non-stop from the beginning of lockdown from as early as 07:00 in the morning and only finishing at around 20:00.
Johnston and her team handed out various “dignity packs” which included various hygiene products including toothpaste, toothbrushes, a facecloth and a fresh pair of clothing.
They also go out daily to help feed the homeless at the various locations across Centurion.
“We either hand out soups and other hearty home-cooked meals where possible. When we get donations we ask members of the community to prepare the meals which we then hand out.”
Johnston said besides the long hours, it has not been an easy task as the homeless aren’t always as welcoming as one would expect.
“Sometimes they are aggressive and do not always show gratitude, while the smile of others makes it absolutely worth our while,” Johnston concluded.
Hennops Revival is a non-profit company with the focus on reviving, restoring the Hennops River in collaboration with the government, other NGOs, NPOs and forums, the private sector and the public.
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