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Cape Towns New City Programme to Uplift Street People
The City of Cape Town introduces programme to help get people off the streets for good
The ideal of re-integrating street people into their communities is often not realised because of a lack of a support system. Councillor Grant Pascoe, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Social Development and Special Projects, identifies the need for a system that creates opportunities and incentives for those living on the street to start a new life for themselves.
“We will employ specialised service providers in the areas where most of the street people originate,” Pascoe said. “Their brief and mandate is to reintegrate street people with their families and communities and support them on a case-by-case basis after re-integration.”
“Without adequate support, street people inevitably succumb to the difficult realities of their new lives after re-integration and often end up back on the streets. Our aim is to create the opportunities people need to leave the streets permanently,” Pascoe said.
The key to achieving this, says Pascoe, is to ensure that they have back-up after they return to their communities of origin. This includes support in terms of physical and mental health, rehabilitation programmes, providing training that will help them to get work, and assistance and training for parents to enable them to cope with the challenges of children who are vulnerable to the lure of a life on the streets.
“The selected service providers will be required to furnish evidence of progress made. The evidence will be independently monitored to ensure that the programme helps the people it was meant to and that the City gets value for money,” Pascoe said.
The City of Cape Town is always working towards making Cape Town a better place to live. Why not do your bit to making Cape Town a better place this festive season? Get involved with local charities and soup kitchens and contribute to uplifting all Capetonians.
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