This story was reported by a community journalist trained through our Social Determinants of Health Reporting Project, funded by Tekano.
“I used to see homeless people every day in South Beach, and it broke my heart,” says Yolanda Zikhali (47). “Some were hungry, weak and sick, while others had no one to care for them. I then thought I must do something to help.”
This led the Durban native to start a non-profit organisation, Siphilisiwe Community Care, in 2020, to provide food support to vulnerable people living on the streets.
“I could no longer ignore the growing number of homeless people sleeping on pavements, going days without proper meals and struggling to survive in difficult conditions,” Zikhali tells Health-e News.
With donations of food from local businesses and the support of young people in the community who volunteer to cook, the organisation has been able to provide three warm meals per day to some of the people living on the streets of South Beach.
The meals usually include porridge, rice, vegetables, and soup with bread. Meat is only served when it has been donated.
Zikhali estimates that they feed around 50 people daily.
A lifeline
One recipient, Jane Smith*, says she’s grateful to receive support from the soup kitchen during such a difficult time in her life.
Smith explains that being homeless is extremely hard, especially while trying to care for her two children, aged seven and two. She has been on the streets, on and off, for about four years after her children’s father kicked her out of the family home several times. Despite the struggles they face daily, she says knowing her children receive hot meals every morning gives her some hope.
Her seven-year-old daughter sets off for school with a full belly. While her daughter is at school, Smith wanders the streets of Durban with her toddler son, begging for money to pay for beds in a shelter.
According to Zikhali, many of the people they assist are unemployed, elderly, living with chronic illnesses or battling substance abuse and mental health challenges. She says hunger and poor living conditions remain major health concerns among homeless communities in Durban.
“Some people come here very weak because they have not eaten for days. Others are living with illnesses but struggle to get medical help.”
A place of comfort
Zikhali says the centre does more than provide meals. It has become a place of comfort and safety for people who often feel forgotten by society. “Sometimes they just need someone to talk to and show them care.”
Volunteers at the organisation assist with preparing meals, distributing food and checking in on vulnerable individuals living on the streets.
“There are days when we do not know where the next food donation will come from, but we continue because people are hungry. We cannot turn them away,” says Zikhali.
She says more support is needed from the government, businesses and the public to help address homelessness and hunger in Durban.
“People living on the streets are human beings. They deserve food, healthcare and respect like everyone else,” she says. – Health-e News
*Not her real name
