Streetscapes is a campaign widely known for taking housing insecure individuals and giving them a purpose by employing them to work in urban gardens in and around the Cape Town, selling their produce to local businesses.
In 2023, they decided to move forward in more ways than one.
Last year saw Streetscapes stepping forward by collaborating with experts and students from Mercer University to enhance their social enterprise initiatives.
They did this to become less dependent on funding and more self-sufficient. Looking to transform the Streetscapes organisation into one that strives to become more self-sufficient through hard work and inventive ideas, Streetscapes has been operating under the expert guidance of Thembi Macata.
The campaign turns sandy spaces into plush greens, with the Layhen project producing 100 eggs daily and a budding beekeeping venture with an aim to house 14 hives by mid-2024.
With a client focused ideology, clients handle transactions, interact with customers, and see their hard work bear fruit. Jerome, one of the housing insecure staff working on a Streetscapes project, for example, has shown remarkable dedication to hen care, successfully leading to a soaring demand for eggs.
This success has not been without its challenges, with expanding their customer base and improving financial accountability being at the top of their list.
One such individual who is excited for the future of the campaign is Taryn Faro.
After the death of her husband, Taryn was left without a home with four kids to look after. Speaking with conviction about her future, Taryn said: “I’ve grown a lot here at Streetscapes, from not knowing where I was going. I know now where I want to go to and what I want to do for the future and for my kids. I’m now renting on my own.”
Now working at the ecofriendly LaundReCycle, Streetscapes provided Taryn support, but it’s her own hard work and dedication that are truly making a difference.
“I’ve seen changes in myself since working in the laundry the past year. I’m handling it very well.”
Looking ahead, Streetscapes is excited about scaling up their initiatives to provide their clients with new skills. They shared a heartfelt thank you to their customers for their support.
“Please consider passing this message on to someone you think could appreciate gaining a greater insight into the plight of the housing insecure, and how everyone can become valued, productive members of society,” Streetscapes said.
“Together, you can make a difference. You can visit the Streetscapes website to be included in our mailing list at streetscapes.org.za.”
Or you can email them at: [email protected], and they’ll do the rest.