How Natasha Mentoor is transforming lives at the Parow Centre of Hope

She once spent years trapped in addiction, hiding from her family and herself.

Now, Natasha Mentoor uses her experiences to guide homeless people through recovery, proving that even the darkest chapters can lead to a life of purpose and hope.

As manager of the Parow Centre of Hope, she encourages women to celebrate their power and pursue a world where every woman can flourish.

Having stepped into her role at the centre in January, she reflected on her own life experiences in an interview with Northern News.

Her turning point came at age 24, after five years trapped in addiction, when her mother discovered drugs hidden in her bedroom.

“I remember coming from a party one night, and my mother had found a stash of things. She confronted me. And it was, wow, I think it was the worst day of my life.

“If I'm going to be honest with you, I think all the times and all the years that I learned to hide things from her, she finally caught me. And to her, it was a big disappointment,” she said. 

When her mother discovered the drugs, she gave her an ultimatum: give them up and remain part of the family, or walk out and never return. She chose her family.

She was eventually forgiven, but only after facing a fierce rebuke from both her parents. 

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group reported on June 24, that their Substance Abuse Helpline received more than 158 000 calls from people throughout the country seeking help for themselves or a loved one in the past 12 months.

The majority of the calls received were from Gauteng (23%), KwaZulu-Natal (17%), and Western Cape (16%). 

A total of 45% of the calls received were from youth (aged 13 – 35 years old), and 54% were from women, and the main substance use trends amongst youth included alcohol, marijuana, heroin, nyaope, and TIK/crystal meth.

After Mentoor was laid off, she still had to survive and pay for children’s expenses, installment for her vehicle and home loan repayment.

Her husband was also laid off at his workplace.   

She joined The Haven’s Night Shelter in Kalk Bay as operations manager in May 2022, a role she held until November last year, when she resigned to undergo an operation.

At the Parow Centre of Hope, she now manages a program with 50 homeless participants, 20 women and 30 men, while also accommodating walk-ins seeking a place to sleep.

The centre is run by Mould Empower Serve (MES), an organisation dedicated to helping the homeless. Using a four-phase approach, the team works closely with social workers to assess clients, assist them in finding work and becoming self-reliant, and ultimately reintegrate them into society. Many of the clients also face challenges with drug addiction.

“I use my story as a testimony when I talk with people in our program. I often tell them that if MES were around during my time, I would have grabbed the opportunity with both of my hands because it was rare to find these opportunities,” Mentoor said.

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