Moot street store to have an extra benefit this year
The organisers of the annual Street Store in the Moot established that their shoppers to their free store also require skills training and are adding this as an added service this year.
A man who was once homeless and now resides in Capital Park has boasted about the garden and a street store he and his team have established at Tshimologo Care Centre.
Tshimologo Care Centre terrain manager, Vasco Mthembu, was present at the first street store in Capital Park three years ago.
For this friendly and humble man, the street store was a game changer.
“It helped me to make changes to my life and be more in control of what is happening to me and my family,” said Mthembu.
It is also the reason why he and the team at the centre are working hard and are motivated to get everything ready for the next annual street store on Saturday, May 25 at 317 Myburgh Street.
The street store concept has gained popularity worldwide and more than 1 000 such stores have been established.
Any organisation can curate these pop-up clothing stores for disadvantaged and homeless individuals.
It works on the concept of a shop being set up in the retail world in an open space where clean and ironed pre-loved blankets, clothes and shoes are displayed as if being retailed. Individuals can choose and fit clothes and shoes as if they are in a store for free.
The Capital Park street stores presented already were a huge success.
Such stores restore dignity to people who need basic comforts, said Sam Moimane, manager of the centre.
At the terrain, the old bowling greens were turned into areas where such store days can be held and sports activities for street-based individuals, like soccer, can take place.
Moimane is proud that the drop-in centre, which has been going for four years now, has become a beacon of love and grace in the community for individuals who are homeless and cannot meet their basic needs on their own.
“The centre was born out of difficult days during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like then, we are here to restore dignity and health to individuals who might need it. The street store is part of that service. For us it is a good thing that the street store can be held at the centre so these individuals can also get to know more about us and can interact with us,” he said.
On the day, shoppers will also be able to get a free meal and have access to the members of NPOs like the People Upliftment Programme (Popup) for counselling and a word of comfort from someone who will escort them and show them their way around the store and stalls.
“This project is so important, as we do not even know if we would be able to get any money for the centre in April or May from the Department of Social Development,” said Moimane.
Outreach programmes of churches and prayer groups in the area help with the day-to-day work at the centre.
Moimane has a team ready to help with preparing and giving dignity packs for showers at the centre, as well as to do laundry and give people breakfast and lunch.
Welfare worker, Reabetswe Kopaledi, sees to the logistical needs of the people who make use of the services at the centre.
“I help with job applications, the writing of CVs, take clients to the clinic in Nana Sita Street and see that they get and use their medication. I also help with the facilitation of referrals to shelters,” said Kopaledi.
The street store is organised in co-operation with the members of the Christ for Moot ministry.
Ministry co-ordinator, Marchell le Roux, said this year’s street store has an added benefit for those shoppers who in future want to address some of their basic needs themselves. They will get to know more about this benefit during the street store day.
“The organisation Restoration of Poverty Equipping (Rope) will be presenting a course at the centre on the Monday after the street store on May 27 in the evening on entrepreneurial skills and a way to make a living in the Moot-area micro-economy,” said Le Roux.
This course is free and will include education and skills training. It is a Work 4 All training programme of 15 sessions over a few weeks. Another Wired for Business programme of 15 sessions will also be presented.
“The purpose is to help individuals and communities living in poverty to take control of their lives,” said Le Roux.
After training and the establishment of systems and processes, Le Roux envisages a system where the “Moot-Rand” will be established for homeless individuals.
“It is a system of vouchers where the individuals are given clothes and products to sell. These sellers are paid in vouchers by other homeless individuals and shoppers. The sellers in turn can use these vouchers to buy themselves and their families food and products to meet their basic needs,” said Le Roux.
He explained such vouchers reduce money on the streets and access to drugs and alcohol. “It can put homeless people on a pathway to recovery,” said Le Roux.
“Just giving food and handouts is not enough. That can easily become a toxic charity. Our aim is to create a micro-economy in the Moot area, which is in a certain sense not dependent on the real-life economy of money changing hands,” explained Le Roux.
He is part of a prayer group in the Moot that takes their stewardship of the area and the community seriously.
“We want to help street-based individuals and the homeless to run their own businesses,” said Le Roux.
The street store makes use of donations to be able to present the store to shoppers.
Le Roux said Johan Janse van Rensburg from the Doulos organisation organises the collection of the clothes and items. Blankets, clothes and shoes in good condition are requested, also in smaller numbers for children and babies.
If you want to add to the street store cupboards, call Janse van Rensburg on 083 269 7082 for collection points.
More information on the Rope training programmes at the Capital Park Community Centre is also available from Van Rensburg.
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