A kind word or deed can do so much good, Carlos Mesquita writes. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency/ANA
This week, I was subjected to so much homeless badgering, so much ugliness that I thought it a good idea to again go and speak to some friends on the streets and see how they are coping with these anti-homeless sentiments.
I know it used to kill me inside, although I would never show it when it happened to me while on the streets. And believe me, it happened often.
As someone who has survived being homeless, I don’t find it strange that I still hear people talk daily about not helping the homeless and that they work hard for everything they have and that homeless people just want everything for free and it has nothing to do with “them because their own friends should have helped them” and if the friendship network didn’t come through, then the homeless person must have “done something to deserve being in that position?”
I find this quite amazing in this day and age.
Let’s say the person DID make bad decisions. It could be anything. They could have overspent and got in financial trouble. They could have violated their lease and gotten evicted. Perhaps their addictions have caused them to lose everything.
Saying they “deserve” it is harsh, even then. What they did do was earn themselves a whole lot of trouble and a long path to dig themselves out of that mess. But does it mean you don’t treat them humanely? No! Absolutely not!
I saw some people just trying to make some money by offering black pens for sale at the Department of Home Affairs.
I thought this quite brilliant as I always forget to take a black pen with me. I was still quite bemused by the cheek and entrepreneurship of this group when this loud, disrespectful woman started complaining about “these beggars”.
You might not want to give the person money. That is entirely your choice, but if you are giving sincerely and from the heart, then the minute you hand over the money, quite frankly, what it’s used for is none of your concern.
But can you take them to an appointment?
Give them a ride somewhere? Offer to help write their CV and apply for jobs?
Directly pay an account for them? Help connect them with resources? Provide a listening ear?
And here you have people taking the initiative and trying to earn their keep, and you go off like a fish wife! No, that’s not okay.
Samuel says to me: “I hope that people will become mature and sensible enough and human enough to understand that each person and circumstance is different, that each person has a unique story, and decide how or if they want help. If the person wants help and is ready to help themselves, hopefully, they can find a way, and hopefully, part of that way is through acts of kindness.”
With this being said, many people also find themselves homeless through circumstances that were not their fault. Some homeless seniors can’t find affordable places to live. People leave abusive situations. People who have experienced tragedy; loss of jobs, housing, or health. Children who are kicked out of their homes to fend for themselves.
It could happen to anyone. And if you have experienced it first hand, you would be shocked.
As Angelo said to me: “All it takes is one or two people bad-mouthing you, assuming things about you and everyone just gets on board. It’s awful, just awful. Thank God some people get it. If not for those people, it would be a death sentence. As it is now, it is still practically a death sentence. I have a homeless friend who dies every week lately. Just awful.”
A lot of people these days are losing their humanity. They just don’t give a damn at all. A kind word or deed can do so much good! Please, try to help someone if you can. You will not be enabling anyone. We are not “getting away with” living this life.
We are discussing how society treats homeless people.
Besides the structural changes to inconvenience homeless people being implemented in structural designs, has anyone even thought about how homeless people feel about public libraries closing down?
Saddened? So am I!
* Carlos Mesquita and a handful of others formed HAC (the Homeless Action Committee) that lobbies for the rights of the homeless. He also manages Our House in Oranjezicht, which is powered by the Community Chest. He can be reached at carlosmesquita396@gmail.com.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
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