Development Talk

Hands Of Love (HALO) gives hope to the homeless

 

July 22, 2010

soup kitchen made difference to people living living in disadvantaged areas

A soup kitchen makes a difference to people living in disadvantaged areas. Photo: Hands of Love

Mthatha is amongst the areas that contribute to the poverty and crime rate in the Eastern Cape. Many people in this town experience the pressures of life to such an extent that they feel there is no way out other than to live on the streets.

Mthatha has gotten a bad reputation for its social ills, but Mthatha youth have stood up to do what is right for their area and established Hands Of Love (H.A.L.O), an organisation that helps to change the living conditions of people in this community.

Initiated in 2009, Hands Of Love is a non-profit organisation that is aimed at reaching out to lost souls and disadvantaged fellow citizens of Mthatha. First called Mthatha Social Outreach, it was started by youth of Mthatha who want to give back to their communities and home town. The aim of this organisation is to show love to people who need it, and to make their lives worthwhile.

clothes distributed to needy people in the areas

Clothes are distributed to the needy. Photo: Hands of Love

The people behind this organisation are inspired by the Bible, which says:  “when we were lost the Lord did not judge, but showed us love and drew us closer to him.” They find it in their hearts to try and re-shape the lives of people living on the streets.

The organisation distributes groceries and clothes to low-income communities and children’s homes. They also spend time with children from orphanages, having fun and following the example of Christ.

The sponsor of this organisation, Sinethemba Dywili, said they serve soup, give out clothes and take food parcels to low-income communities like Phola Park and Tiphini.

Sinethemba Dywili is one of Creative Consulting & Development Works‘ friends on Facebook and when he informed us of the good work that this organisation was doing, we were happy to showcase it on our blog. If you are involved in any other worthwhile projects, please let us know, by leaving a comment below.

Filed under: Awareness, CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS, DEVELOPMENT WORKS, Homeless, Hope, NGOs, Social media, South Africa, children, civil society, community, development, initiative, inspiration, inspire, poverty, youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 10:54 am

Gugulethu youth benefit from Sports Development Programmes

 

July 14, 2010

With their boot on a soccer ball, Gugulethu youth feel on top of the world. Photo: 1happysnapper via Flickr

With their boot on a soccer ball, Gugulethu youth feel on top of the world. Photo: 1happysnapper via Flickr

Every child has a dream of becoming something in life, but an impoverished background or lack of resources in their community could make it impossible to fulfill those dreams. Faced with these challenges, they sometimes lose hope to an extent that they believe drugs and alcohol abuse, crime and violence are the only things left for them.

How do they face these challenges?

Youth staying in Gugulethu experience these challenges, but they can see light at the end of the tunnel, because of sports development programmes in the area.

What were they doing during the Soccer World Cup?

The youth were very active during this 2010 FIFA World Cup. They played against youth from other areas that face similar problems, such as Mitchell’s Plain and Manenberg. The medal a player receives after a match is one of the reasons that they keep on going to soccer fields every day.

How do they benefit from sport development?

These youths believe there are many opportunities to improve their lot through football, and make their dreams a reality. Anam Mxokozeli, one of the Gugulethu soccer stars went to Ajax Cape Town for trials. He was delighted to have that opportunity and he believes that one day he will play for big soccer teams.

Role of their coaches

The coaches are not only training these young boys, they are also guiding and supporting with them with social problems. They teach them how to react to difficult circumstances and also help them with their school work.

Even thought the FIFA World Cup has come to an end, Creative Consulting & Development Works hopes that the youth now has an even greater interest in soccer and that it will continue to have a positive effect on their lives.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup, CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS, DEVELOPMENT WORKS, Hope, Inequality, South Africa, children, civil society, community, development, education, inspiration, poverty, sport, violence, youth — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:16 am

Hope and Steet Soccer for People Living on the Streets

 

June 22, 2010

Martin Africa, the captain of South Africa's homeless street soccer team

Martin Africa, the captain of South Africa's homeless street soccer team

“Hope is the most important thing in life. If you give up on hope, you might as well die.”

These are the words of Martin Africa, the captain of South Africa’s homeless street soccer team that represented our country at the Homeless World Cup last year.

The Homeless World Cup was started in 2003 and has brought 4-a-side street soccer to an international stage. In each competing country, players are drawn from grassroots soccer initiatives that engage destitute people who would otherwise be involved in gangsterism, drugs and crime. A prerequisite for these players to represent their countries at the World Cup is that they have to get off the streets.

So, even though players are homeless when they are recruited into these teams, they have a little place to stay and perhaps a small source of income by the time they represent their country in front of the world. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these people, something they will always remember, that shows them what is possible.

A documentary film about the South African team’s journey to the previous Homeless World Cup in Australia, entitled Streetball, was produced by From Us With Love. It was shown at, among other events, the 17th Annual New York African Film Festival, the Arizona Black Film Showcase, the Africa World Documentary Film Festival in Bermuda and Festival Cinema Africano, Asia ed America Latina in Italy.

Watch the trailer of the video below and as Bafana Bafana take on France today in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, remember to always keep hope alive!

Streetball – Trailer from Demetrius Wren on Vimeo.

Filed under: 2010 World Cup, CREATIVE CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT WORKS, DEVELOPMENT WORKS, Employment, Film, Homeless, Hope, Videos, development, initiative, inspiration, marginalised, poverty, sport — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:49 am

Finding Freedom Behind Bars

 

May 25, 2009

A scene from Freedom Behind Bars

A scene from Freedom Behind Bars

Society’s tendency to throw away the key distances us as individuals of society from the humanity of those in prison. We label them criminal and prisoner and treat them as such. This veiled lens through which we see these individuals is highlighted in the documentary that was screened at the Labia Theatre on Orange Street this last Sunday 17 May.

Finding Freedom Behind Bars follows the work of two Zen teachers with inmates of Malmesbury Prison in Cape Town. The focus is on mindfulness; being consciously aware of one’s actions through mindfulness techniques such as meditation. This initiative forms part of the Mindfulness Prison Project.

What was so powerful about their journey is that the mindfulness tools taught to them by the Zen teachers allowed them to gain an understanding of themselves. It allowed them and us the viewers, to look into their hearts and see the humanity that is present there. Their individual stories lift the veil from our eyes. Against the very harsh environment of prison, the inmates are challenged to view themselves to seek alternative ways of being that allow them to confront their past and challenge those around them to see them as human.

Despite their crimes, these individuals are vulnerable human beings who now have to face the outside world. The documentary also gives hope to finding solutions to the high recidivism rates. More than that, Finding Freedom Behind Bars calls us to embrace our own humanity and be mindful of our thoughts, feelings and actions towards those in our society who need our understanding and compassion.

The documentary Freedom Behind Bars was shown at the Labia Theatre.

The documentary Freedom Behind Bars was shown at the Labia Theatre.

Filed under: Film, Prison, basic human right, development, forgiveness, initiative — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 8:37 am