Help for the homeless continues
Ethembeni has taken in 30 homeless people and another shelter known as Uitkoms has taken in 18 children and 32 adults
With the lockdown going past the halfway stage, the homeless are still being placed in shelters across eMalahleni.
Lockdown started midnight on Thursday, March 26 and questions were raised about the homeless and what will be done to ensure the safety of the people roaming the streets not having a place to go.
Mould Empower Serve (MES) for Social Development Ms Blessing Thandi Shongwe visited the shelters on Friday, April 3.
“Homeless people were placed in shelters as part of the department’s operation Search for Homeless People. This was to observe the state of service and support they receive since their placement at identified shelters and as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 21-days lockdown. We are also focusing on their health and making sure they get the right medical attention,” Shongwe said.
Ethembeni Children’s Haven opened their doors and is being used as one of the locations as a shelter to help keep the homeless people off the streets during the 21-day lockdown period.
Ethembeni has taken in 30 homeless people and another shelter known as Uitkoms has taken in 18 children and 32 adults.
Salomé Jones who started Uitkoms 11 years ago with her husband Hendrik said: “When the 21-day lockdown is done, we can finish building five extra rooms to help more people”.
