The youth in and around Hermanstad have been invited to take part in a new project by the Donato Housing Scheme, aimed at turning them away from a life of crime and drug abuse.

The Donato Housing Scheme is a subsidiary of the SAVF that was founded in 1986, and is turning 40 years old this June.

It has been offering services to the community at the old Hercules Primary School building since 1993. They have 16 flats and 18 smaller houses for low-income beneficiaries, many of them Sassa pensioners.

Social worker Sakina Chauke said the area is plagued by homelessness, high unemployment rates, teenage pregnancy and drug use.

“We have a lot of kids not going to crèche, and we also have a lot of kids out on the streets. So we were thinking of programmes to help keep them occupied, like drop-in centres, after-school programmes, homework programmes and feeding schemes, because people lack food in this area,” Chauke said.

Chauke has been working at Donato since 2021, and said that during her time there, the area’s social ills have gotten worse.

She said mental health issues can lead to unemployment, and this, in turn, may lead to drug use and dependence.

“We see a lot of drug users, children who have been neglected due to drug use, and also a lot of them are coming from poor backgrounds, they don’t have anything. A lot more programming is needed for the people.

“We don’t currently offer a substance abuse programme at our office, but we do make referrals. If a person is willing to go to rehab, we co-ordinate with the department and get them there if they are willing.

“If it’s a child and there’s neglect, obviously, we remove the child, and if the parents get better, we can do reunification, but it depends; many children don’t go back because [the parents] don’t change,” Chauke added.

Chauke said more homeless shelters, funding and programmes are needed at a governmental level to truly make a difference in the community.

Pastor Shadrack Mushwana is another volunteer at Donato. He works with the Department of Correctional Services in pastoral care and counselling, spiritual services, and a drug-prevention programme at several prisons.

“Most of the young people are on drugs, but we don’t want them to influence the upcoming generation to fall into the same trap they did,” Mushwana said.

“Another thing in prison that we realised is that programmes that rehabilitate inmates the most were linked to church services. Someone who is equipped spiritually doesn’t usually fall back into the same traps and go back to prison. When they are changed, they are changed,” he said.

Mushwana ran a homeless church in Hatfield for several years before coming to Donato and said the church plays a massive role in removing people from the streets.

“Every corner you walk in, you are confronted by the reality of homelessness. Guns are also another issue in this area. This area needs serious intervention. When there are resources to help, it can transform lives,” Mushwana said.

Donato founder Dr Ans van der Westhuizen said a need for a space for teenagers within the congregation was recognised.

“We want to help them; this is what we want to start. We want to give them healthy activities with a spiritual basis. It’s not only the church, when they come here on a Sunday, but they have something to eat and drink. Like a sandwich, and we cater for the kids at Sunday school,” Dr Van Der Westhuizen said.

“We do it out of our own pocket, and we’ve got different people singing in the choir, preaching, and coming together, and we want to help the youth in the same way.”

She said that when she started Donato, she had a burning passion to help youth addicted to drugs.

Donato has played a role in several key projects over the years. These include a training centre for the unemployed, training for female offenders at Kgosi Mampuru prison, several daily school feeding programmes, several job creation projects, a housing scheme, and church services.

“We are here for the poor, we are not here for the rich, and we want to help the teenagers. I have a passion for teenagers, and we are going to help. We want to invite them to come, and then we start.

“This year, this project is turning 40 years old on June 11, and we want to start the teenager project on June 12. We are here for the community, but the community must take hands with us,” Dr Van Der Westhuzen added.

Donato’s social workers can be reached at 012 023 0563 or by email at hermanstad.swo@savf.co.za on weekdays from 09:00–15:00.

It currently runs the church every Sunday, the housing scheme, the free social work services, and a second-hand clothing shop for the community.

The NGO is currently looking for assistance in the replacement of the cement concrete slabs at the entrance of the property that have not been replaced since the school opened in 1945.

A pool table, table tennis table, board games and books are among other donations the scheme is asking the community for assistance.

To donate to Donato, reach out by emailing admin@donato.co.za or visit the project at the Old School Building, on the corner of Bohlmann and Kruger streets.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel