by Carlos Mesquita
This past week has been one of reflection and realisation.
On August 1 this year 31 previously homeless people moved into a new house in Gardens. It is meant to be an independent living space for the homeless by the homeless and it was funded as a project for six months.
During the past six months, we have been blessed with many success stories. Not only have we been an integral part of the Inkathalo Conversations, we had 70% of the individuals employ themselves, a posh wedding, and other service providers knocking on our door to see what it is that is making this work. Even I, am not only running the house, I am now writing this column too, and the funder’s financial representative referred to the project, in a letter to me on December 17, as a pleasant, rewarding project beginning to bear fruit.
Those six months are up. Now what? What becomes of the individuals that have joined programmes that are to continue in January? And those who found jobs but are not ready to become self-sustainable in rented accommodation yet?
On December 17 (a month and 2 days after the date that I had agreed with the funder’s project manager would be D-day to let us know about their plans going forward, in order to provide us with the opportunity of finding alternative funding for the project next year), I received a letter from the funder stating they were withdrawing all funding for the project, some suspended immediately – the rest effective on December 31. An extra month or two’s rent would be negotiated with the landlord.
Cutting a long story short, after very unpleasant telephonic engagements, it was finally confirmed that the funder would pay the rent for at least January and thereafter based on their capacity to do so.
I understand that any project (one of the most hated words amongst homeless people) has a time limit. I also understand that both funder and funded benefited from the project.
What I don’t understand, is that people have still not understood what we as a group did in Strandfontein and why. We didn’t just form a committee to complain. We stood up and said ENOUGH, and STOP making decisions on what you think is good for us. Engage us in your decision making.
Don’t just do things as you see fit and expect us to fall in line.
We stood up and decided to organise, mobilise and talk for ourselves. We went to court to be accommodated after Strandfontein.
We didn’t ask anyone but the City of Cape Town, who has a responsibility towards each and every homeless person during lockdown, for anything.
Those who offered assistance did so willingly. I am very grateful. Like others I grabbed every opportunity with both hands as a means to reclaim ME! All projects cannot and should not be funded indefinitely.
In the future remember that a project is meant to be an equal partnership. Agree on an end that is equitable and morally just right from the start.
Avoid making it up as you go along. The manner in which a project ends is more important than anything in between. We were meant to be equals in this partnership, but were we?
Despite everything achieved these past couple of months – the one thing we haven’t achieved is for us to be treated as equals. There is still such a long walk to this thing you call freedom, Tata… a very long, hard and lonely walk.
Enjoy a new reality New Year’s Eve and be safe.
A little disappointed? Well, SO AM I.
* Carlos Mesquita and a handful of others formed HAC (the Homeless Action Committee) that lobbies for the rights of the homeless. He also manages Our House in Oranjezicht, which is powered by the Community Chest.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
Cape Argus
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