Bloemfontein response
Bloemfonteing / Mangaung
In Bloemfontein the collaboration between the city, province, non-profit sector working with homelessness, and faith-based organisations are not exactly clear. Although there are different forms of collaboration and mutual support, the strategy being implemented does not seem to be one that was forged collaboratively.
The strategy that is implemented, and evolving, to support street homeless persons during Covid-19 is as follows:
Going forward
In Bloemfontein the collaboration between the city, province, non-profit sector working with homelessness, and faith-based organisations are not exactly clear. Although there are different forms of collaboration and mutual support, the strategy being implemented does not seem to be one that was forged collaboratively.
The strategy that is implemented, and evolving, to support street homeless persons during Covid-19 is as follows:
- The first place of entry is housing people in a community hall in one of the townships, where they are screened, and from where they are voluntarily relocated to better facilities outside of Bloemfontein
- There are 3 temporary 'camps' on a farm outside the city, which belongs to a prominent business person in Bloemfontein: two of the camps are for men, and the third camp for women. The camp for men consist of large communal tents (70 persons in one tent and 30 in a second tent). All three camps are run by Christian volunteers from the city.
- In addition, there are smaller shelters in different parts of Bloemfontein. In Rocklands a shelter was opened in a community hall, offering space to 40 people and seeking to enforce physical distancing. This shelter is managed by officials from the Department of Social Development in the city. A second shelter was opened in Heidedal, providing space for women only, and also run by the Department of Social Development.
- There is still a large number of homeless persons on the streets of the city, being supported by Towers of Hope through their afternoon soup kitchen (sandwiches and soup). At Towers of Hope they experience how desperately hungry people are. De la Harpe le Roux from Towers of Hope visits the two shelters in Rocklandsand Heidedal every second day, as most of the residents are also his church members.
- Other emergency shelters for homeless persons were opened in smaller towns of the Free State province, run by the Department of Social Development in the province, and sometimes also with the support of churches or faith-based organisations - Botshabelo (40kms outside Bloemfontein); Welkom; Bothaville; Kroonstad; Sasolburg and Parys.
Going forward
- It seems as if more can be done to foster mutual trust and equal partnership between local and provincial government, the homeless sector, NGOs and religious organisations
- There is huge involvement rom the community at-large in terms of supporting temporary shelters during this time. The question would be, how this interest can be sustained beyond Covid-19.
Articles on Bloemfontein response to COVID-19