Brooklyn Residents gain dignity through community wellness services

Brooklyn residents received warm showers, haircuts, and health services - all aimed at restoring dignity and providing essential support - at a community wellness day on Thursday, August 14. 

When they arrived at Vulamathuba Empumelelo Community Learning Centre, in Brooklyn, they were given a card which listed services by Meals on Wheels, Clicks, Vulamathuba, Diamond Recovery Centres, and Viva con Agua South Africa.

First in the shower was Lizzie Smith, 68, who lives in a backyard in Brooklyn

"We have to collect 5L bottles of water and warm them in pots to wash every day," she said. 

"I wash in a washbasin," she said. 

Ms Smith lives with her four grandchildren, aged 5, 6, 8, and 16: their mother died of cancer two years ago. Her grandson also died of cancer.

She could not stop smiling after the shower.

"I am very glad for this privilege. Where I live in a shack, there aren't such things - a shower. Sometimes I have to go shower at my cousin. Thank you very much. I enjoyed it very much," she said. 

Ms Smith then went to queue for a haircut. 

Angelo Nel, 48, who sleeps outside his friend's house, received a clean bill of health after his blood pressure and sugar levels were checked. 

"We really appreciate these services," he said. 

Nina Manzi project manager, Evert Janse-van Noordwyk said that the wash bus service was always an "add-on service".

"It is always a build on, where participants can access other services, like a meal or social work services, and it has to be in an enclosed area for safety and security," he said. 

The trailer has four showers and four toilets, but only the showers were accessible on Thursday.

"We want people to experience more than one thing; each person receives a towel that they must return. We have that laundered. There is a shower wash, and warm water. Each person gets 15 minutes," he said.

There is also a black box for them to store their belongings while they shower, and each person receives a toiletry pack and a cloth.

Meals on Wheels Brooklyn branch manager Sheldon Goslett, coordinator of the collaborative event, said they were giving people - living on the streets, in backyards, in social and affordable housing - "dignity and uplift the area".

He emphasised that skills development is crucial for helping people become self-sufficient.

"Our main aim is to uplift the people in the area, who do not have anything, feed and develop them so that we don't create dependency," he said. 

Chantel Wassenaar, from Adopt a Mission Outreach, said they feed up to 9 000 people weekly.

"We are a practical mission outreach. We give them vegetables and pre-cooked food, which is sponsored privately," she said. 

They have missions in Brooklyn, Milnerton, Joe Slovo, Belville, Malmesbury and adjacent areas, which are funded by Entwined Roots Trust, which was founded by her father Albert Wassenaar. 

Ms Wassenaar said they had invited some of their beneficiaries to the wellness day. 

Colette Davison, from Diamond Recovery Centres, said that part of their work was to refer people addicted to substances to an array of service providers depending on their needs. 

Joe Africa, senior administrator for Vulamathuba Empumelelo Community Learning Centre, said that they provided the venue. 

"We offer adult matric and job readiness programmes. There are quite a few youth in the queue, perhaps they have dropped out of school, and we can help them with learning programmes," he said. 

Vulamathuba is the social and community development arm of Communicare,  which provides socio-economic development support to Communicare tenants and people in the surrounding neighbourhoods. 

Mr Africa also showed Table Talk their garden, which he said flourished with help from residents in the community. 

"This is skills development in action, and we just need people to come to u,s and they can also benefit from the garden," he said.