Welcome to the June 2021 edition of Souper News, which we hope will become a monthly newsletter to keep you up to date with what we have been doing and share some of our beneficiaries’ stories with you.

The most important news we have to share is that The Humanity Hub opened its doors on the 31st of January 2021, the culmination of many years of dreaming to create a service centre for people who live on the streets.

The pandemic brought us together with several organisations with the same ethos as us – DIGNITY, LOVE & RESPECT. Together with our colleagues at Community Chest, Mini Meltdown and Ladles of Love we launched The Humanity Hub, which currently operates from the ground floor of the Community Chest building at 82 Bree Street, Cape Town.

 

Our Partners

At The Humanity Hub we address the holistic needs of the most marginalised human beings, starting with the most basic needs to help them regain their dignity (like clothes, food, toiletries) and including the full range of services below according to their individual needs.

Meet the heart of The Humanity Hub, our compassionate fieldworker, Tasneem Hoosain-Fielies (left), and her assistant, Moeshfieqah Bosch.

Tasneem and Moeshfiqah work with every client individually using our CAST Model to make sure each client receives the individualised support they need.

At present, the Hub is situated in the Community Chest Building at 82 Bree Street and is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 – 2 for our clients, by appointment only. We are open Mondays – Fridays for donation drop offs by arrangement. Together with our partners we are working towards finding permanent premises for the Humanity Hub, which will then be open to clients every weekday.

 

Human Stories: Adam’s big catch

Allan Bloom said, “Education is the movement from darkness to light.” In our client’s case, education has indeed enabled light to filter through the many cracks that now holds hope. *Adam found himself on the street and with the help of our fieldworker, Tasneem Hoosain-Fielies, he found place at the City’s Safe Space in the CBD. He embraced this opportunity and took initiative to complete a free life orientation course at an institution
in Green Point.

Eager to become more self-sustainable, he realised that with help, he could slowly carve out a different life for himself. Motivated by the knowledge he gained during the life orientation course, Adam discussed with Tasneem an opportunity that he wanted to pursue but which required him to obtain his seaman’s certificate and to pass a medical exam.
In life we often need to spend money in order to make money. Thanks to our generous donors we were able to pay for Adam’s seaman’s course and medical exam. He has since been shortlisted to work on the fishing trawlers at I & J.

He is determined to change his circumstances now that he has access to Souper Troopers’ support services and a safe place to sleep at night.

Your contributions, in kind and in cash, make the biggest difference in the lives of many of our homeless clients. *not his real name.