Paballo Ya Batho (caring for the people)
is an organisation in the Joburg CBD that strives to provide care and
assistance to the homeless of the Joburg CBD.
They aim to strengthen the unity of people
who are homeless and destitute and to lobby for their basic human rights. They
work in partnership with the Central Methodist Mission and the people
concerned. It started out as a project primarily looking at providing a meal
but now has evolved to do so much more for them as people: providing medical
care, providing blankets and clothing, offering spiritual care and counselling.
Furthermore, they assist in getting people passports and IDs and helping them
return home.
We just thought that was so powerful, so
much more than just satisfying a need, they are working on really helping the
person and not just the body. So often we see these people on the road but do
we really see them? Their hopes and dreams, wants and dislikes, their happiness
and sadness. What happened to their loved ones? They are often the victims of
hate crimes and all they are trying to do is just survive. So can our one good
deed make a difference? Yes, we really believe it can.
By us assisting this organisation, we can
help in one small way that could really be the turning point for someone. We
can’t be sure that the meal our cans of food contributed to would be the
turning point for someone to get back on their feet but it could be that ray of
hope, someone really needed before giving up on life.
OUR GOAL: To donate 1,000 cans of food to
Paballo Ya Batho in the month of July 2014.
I personally had a few reservations and
was worried that this was not doable. But I was wrong.
Within a week we reached our target and we
kept going. Eventually reaching the 1,500 and then 2,000 mark.
This week we will collect the final
donations (and do a final count) before the big delivery on Friday 1 August
2014.
We promise to post more pictures soon!!!
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