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#Opinion: The longest walk to freedom: from the perspective of the homeless

26 April 2023 | Story Kelebogile Boleu and Jean-Paul Pophaim | Photo Supplied

Jean-Paul Pophiam and Kelebogile Oliver — Kelebogile Boleu and Jean-Paul Pophaim, lecturers at the Department of Criminology, University of the Free State and Governing board members at Kidz Care Trust

Opinion article by Kelebogile Boleu and Jean-Paul Pophaim, Lecturers at the Department of Criminology, University of the Free State and Governing board members at Kidz Care Trust.

Freedom Day commemorates the first democratic elections held in post-apartheid South Africa on 27 April 1994. This day reminds us of the immeasurable sacrifices made by individuals and groups to help break the chains of unjust segregation and bring about the promotion of equality, fairness and basic human rights for all South Africans. This day not only marks our emancipation as South Africans, but reminds us of the constitutional promise of peace, hope and a brighter tomorrow for everyone. Over the past few years, many South Africans have begun to question this monumental rise to freedom, with all of the challenges we have been facing as a country – having one of the highest youth unemployment rates globally, social challenges associated with housing, education and the lack of access to basic needs such as food, electricity and water. We are 28 years into democracy and some individuals have yet to experience freedom and enjoy their basic human rights to the fullest. A prime example of this would be our country’s homeless population. Forced to exist in the most marginal and rundown conditions, the homeless are often treated as second-class citizens, criminalised, ostracised and deprived of their most basic human rights on a daily basis.

The fallacy of freedom for the homeless

At the dawn of democracy, it was assumed that freedom and human rights for all would be an automatic process. However, this remains untrue in the lives of the marginalised and destitute. The homeless face many barriers in society regarding access to their basic human rights and services to acknowledge and support a life of dignity, equality and respect. Based on a devalued social status and the stigma attached to life on the street, many homeless people are forced to exist in spaces devoid of their innate right to freedom as alluded to in a previous publication . The homeless face immense challenges when seeking assistance from SA Police Service officials when they attempt to make use of healthcare services and other social service sectors. The discomfort they create for other members of society is inhumanely vocalised and enforced in various ‘public spaces’ – where their unwelcome presence is solidified by the treatment they are subjected to. Street-living youth are deprived of their childhoods, bearing the challenges of a broken society – unable to enjoy their youth, attend school, play with friends and realise their potential to be the leaders of tomorrow.

When we see children begging on the street, we often ask ourselves – where are their parents and why are they not in school? Or we simply assume they are naughty or deviant and probably do not know the value and importance of education. The majority of the broader society are quick to judge and hardly ever go a step further to consider the ‘bigger picture’. The reality is that most of these children have no adult figure or support system in place and as a result often turn to unconventional survival strategies which include various petty crimes and sex work just to secure a meal. The last thing on their minds is going to school and even if they find a school that is willing to accept them, many do not have the necessary documentation required at admission (birth certificates amongst others). Although we do have a few good policies in place for children, the situation for street-living youth remains bleak – as many of them do not fit the narrative of a school-going child and as a result face severe cases of marginalisation, discrimination, bullying and unfair treatment by peers and educators alike. Despite these challenges, organisations such as Kidz Care Trust (KCT) remain committed to continue advocating for the rights of the child.

Efforts by Civil Organisations

Civil organisations in South Africa have always played an instrumental role in righting the wrongs of our unequal society. Many organisations continue to pick up the slack and assist in creating a more dignified life, one that is aligned with the premise of our democratic Constitution. To draw focus to our involvement and affiliation with KCT, since its establishment, the trust has been responsible for rendering life-changing services to children living and working on the street with the purpose of reuniting them with their families and communities. Due to the ongoing violation of children’s rights and freedom, KCT focuses on restoring hope where there is hopelessness, distrust and disrespect by a sometimes, unforgiving society confronted with children living and surviving on the street.

To raise awareness and promote the fight for equal rights and absolute freedom for all street-living youth and adults, we thought it would be fitting to share some of the most heart-warming success stories achieved by the trust to date. Currently one of the boys at KCT is completing his matric, another has been placed in a high school and several others are enrolled at a nearby primary school – with one grade 7 pupil achieving perfect and high scores for his assessments – proving once again that anything is possible with a bit of support. For the purposes of the next story, an alias has been used to protect the identity of the individual involved:

A young man fighting for his right to be a responsible and contributing citizen

Tristan’s story is one filled with hardships and challenges that stretch far beyond the imagination of the average South African citizen. Through hard work, sheer willpower and the determination to succeed – Tristan managed to overcome the adversity that started at the age of just three, when he was abandoned by his family.

Tristan was placed into foster care, only for his foster parent to pass away and he ended up in the tentative care of an elderly neighbour. Tristan knew that he did not have much time to live with the neighbour and decided to move to the street at the age of 10. This is where he crossed paths with KCT. Tristan was part of a group of street children who begged at the traffic lights near Mimosa Mall in Bloemfontein during peak times. While he found refuge with this group of children, he started sniffing glue and smoking cannabis (dagga). He battled the cold, faced starvation and violent attacks while on the street. Tristan moved into the KCT Child and Youth Care Centre when he was 12 years old, initially struggling to adapt to the rules and routines of the centre. As a result, he got into a lot of altercations with other boys at the centre. His issues with substances (glue and cannabis) and claiming that he felt like a failure due to his challenges at school, led to him running away from the centre a number of times. The children’s court then ordered Tristan to attend Jimmie Roos School. As things started to improve, he turned 18 and the system no longer had room for him. He couldn’t find employment and decided to move in with a friend in a township which was when he was revisited by his previous challenges with substance abuse. Eventually, unable to cope, he contacted KCT and they decided to include him in their youth programme – where he was taught cooking, gardening, cleaning and work etiquette skills. After acquiring his identity document, Tristan was enrolled for an in-service training programme at Kopano Nokeng Conference Centre. The person who assisted him was so impressed by his performance and ambition to succeed that Tristan was later offered part-time employment as a waiter and to assist with organising events. Today, Tristan has full-time employment as a caretaker and also takes care of his 93-year-old grandfather.

This is one of many stories KCT can share with pride – showing that a rough start does not always mean a rough ending. On days such as this it is important to reflect on the struggles that led to the celebration of Freedom Day and to remember what freedom truly means and that it should be a reality for all.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about” ~ Wendy Mass.

News Archive

African Student Affairs Conference a huge success

2011-05-24

Mr Rudi Buys, UFS Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Folabi Obembe, Managing Director of Worldview International, Ms Birgit Schreiber, Director of the Centre for Student support services at the University of the Western Cape, Dr. Augustinah Duyilemi, Dean of Student Affairs at the Adekunleh Ajasin University in Nigeria, Dr. Christina Lunceford, assistant Director for the Centre for Research on Educational Access and Leadership at California State University in America, and Prof. Cecil Bodibe, student affairs veteran and consultant.
Photo: Earl Coetzee

The African Student Affairs Conference (ASAC), which took place on our Main Campus last week, was a major success, with two days of lectures and discussions and two pleasant social gatherings, where delegates had the opportunity to get to know each other.

The conference, hosted on African soil for the first time, and co-hosted by the University of the Western Cape (UWC), started on Wednesday 18 May 2011 with an informal welcoming session. Delegates got to meet each other and Mr Rudi Buys, UFS Dean of Student Affairs, explained the meaning of South African words like "kuier" and "lekker'.

The official start of events took place on Thursday 19 May 2011, in the Reitz Hall in our Centenary Complex. The conference was attended by delegates from universities across the continent and aimed to place the focus on issues relating to student affairs in an African context.

Delegates shared and exchanged strategies, ideas and resources, and discussed issues related to the work of student affairs professionals. The conference hoped to promote an exchange of best practice and assist attendees in identifying successful programmes.

Among the topics discussed on the first day, were “Constructing Post-Conflict Democracy on campus: a case study of transformation of student governance and political engagement as post-conflict intervention”, by Mr. Buys, and a discussion on ways in which social and online media can be used to ease the challenges of student interaction, development and support, by Ms Birgit Schreiber, Director of the Centre for Student Support Services at UWC.

A panel discussion, led by Mr Buys and several members of our Interim Student Council (ISC), discussed the specific challenges faced at the UFS. The importance of buy-in from role-players in decisions taken by University management in order to ensure their success, was discussed, using the UFS and our recent changes as an example.

The successful integration of residences on campus inevitably came under the spotlight and the recently resolved Reitz-saga was named as a catalyst in getting students less apathetic and more involved in attempts at creating racial and social harmony.

Dr Christina Lunceford, Assistant-Director of the Centre for Research on Educational Access and Leadership at California State University, presented a paper entitled A National Approach to Building Capacity in Student Affairs in South African Higher Education.

She commented on the fact that there is little or no philosophical framework or explicit theory that informs practice of student services in South Africa.

According to Dr Lunceford, student development should be a key concern for every department or unit within student services and emphasized the need for a centralized student development unit at each university.
She also touched on the need for institutions to implement support from international student affairs professional associations, professional development for student affairs practitioners, the utilization of technology to support professionals in the field, and working with international partners to explore future opportunities, as ways in which student affairs can be used to drive performance and change at universities.

The conference continued in the Scaena theatre on Friday 20 May 2011, with presentations by Dr Augustinah Duyileme, Dean of Student Affairs at Adekunle Ajasin University in Nigeria, and Prof. Bobby Mandew, Executive Director of Student Affairs at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

Dr Duyileme presented a paper on the challenges faced by Nigerian universities with regard to student conflict and protests, which often turn violent, and how such violence can be curbed through proper planning and management.

Prof. Mandew presented a very well-received presentation on UJ’s successful off-campus housing initiative, which involves home-owners and business owners in the areas surrounding their campuses.

Their approach demonstrated how proper planning can prevent problems associated with over-population in private homes and conflict with neighbours of the university, usually related to an influx of students into residential neighbourhoods.

This problem is faced by many universities, as more and more students flock to universities on the continent and campus residents cannot accommodate them.

The conference came to a close on Friday, with most delegates agreeing that the exchange of knowledge which took place was extremely valuable.

Ms Deborah Lahlan, of Nigeria, said: “This is an important conference for Africa and it should become a regular event.”

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