Doing Hope in South Africa

Doing Hope in South Africa | March 2024

This month, we share three stories of hope from young women who are benefiting from Umthombo’s Independent Living Programme in Durban, South Africa.

Stories of Hope
Doing Hope in... South Africa

Words:
Katie Hagley

Photography:
Sloane Goldstone
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Most girls come to the streets of Durban to escape an abusive domestic situation or an impoverished home life. Many girls and young women take shelter in abandoned buildings. On the streets, they face a far harder situation. Many end up addicted to drugs, particularly whoonga, which is a cheap, highly addictive form of black tar heroin which is mixed with antiretrovirals and other drugs.

When girls arrive on the streets of Durban, they are quickly befriended by ‘boyfriends’ who push them into commercial sex work or trap them in abusive relationships.

Homeless shelters won’t accept women over 16 years old and the average waiting list for drug rehabilitation programmes is 12-18 months, so Umthombo’s work is vital and desperately needed.

Young women in Durban, South Africa, styling each others hair.

Relaxing environment: Away from the chaos of street life, young women can focus on their recovery journey
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Over the past 10 months, Umthombo has worked with 107 women on the streets. Their outreach workers visit the streets three times a week to build trusting relationships with women and assess their readiness to detox from substances.

42 of these young women went on Umthombo’s two-week detox programme, which is held at a game reserve, away from the chaos of street life, providing a relaxing environment to focus on their recovery journey. Umthombo runs three or four detoxes each year, so if women are unsuccessful the first time, they can try again.

Homeless shelters won’t accept women over 16 years old and the average waiting list for drug rehabilitation programmes is 12-18 months, so Umthombo’s work is vital and desperately needed.

Of the 42 women who participated, five managed to successfully come off drugs and alcohol. Although this may seem like a low success rate, Umthombo is working with women whose lives have been dominated by drug addiction and controlling boyfriends for many years.

Trying to pull away can be hugely complicated, and without positive role models and supportive families to guide them through, the temptation to return to street life can be too strong for many women. The 37 women who didn’t successfully detox this time continue to receive psychosocial support from Umthombo’s social workers. When they are ready, Umthombo will support them to rejoin the detox programme.

Umthombo’s Independent Living Programme

Once the girls have successfully detoxed, some will move back home to their families. Those who can’t move back home are invited to participate in Umthombo’s Independent Living Programme. This enables them to live rent-free for up to 6 months with their children in accommodation provided by Umthombo, and vitally, they continue to receive support to get back on their feet. They receive food, counselling and parenting skills while learning independence and developing coping strategies.

Some women and girls receive support to get jobs or join the Work Readiness Programme, which involves paid internships with local businesses. Others are supported to establish their own businesses. Umthombo also helps them to enrol their children in school and access childcare grants.

Three young South African children sitting outside a building in Durban.

Rent free: Umthombo provides accommodation for the young women and their children
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In total, nine women joined the Independent Living Programme, five of whom had successfully detoxed from substances, whilst the other four had been living on the streets but were not addicted to drugs, so their journey was much more straightforward.

Those who can’t move back home are invited to participate in Umthombo’s Independent Living Programme. This enables them to live rent-free for up to 6 months with their children in accommodation provided by Umthombo, and vitally, they continue to receive support to get back on their feet.

Recently, some of the young women benefiting from the programme made short videos to share with and encourage other young women in similar circumstances to get involved with the programme so they, too, can turn their lives around. Here are their stories.

Ncamisile

Ncamisile is 25 years old and has been involved with Umthombo since June 2023. Back then, she lived in a shelter, without work, with her 2-year-old daughter, but she felt she needed help. She started going to sessions with Umthombo’s social workers.

After several sessions, they helped her to move into accommodation, pay for rent and groceries and support her with her baby’s needs. While in the shelter, Ncamisile lost her identity documents, so Umthombo helped her get these back. She is now aiming to get into the Work Readiness Programme. She wants others to know, “Umthombo can help you change your life — if you want to change.”

Nomcebo

Nomcebo, who is 30 years old, started being supported by Umthombo last June. When she met Umthombo’s social workers, she was misusing substances and living on the streets. She received counselling, went through detox and onto the Independent Living Programme and has now moved into a house.

“Umthombo helped me a lot. Now, my life has changed. I no longer use drugs and I live in a proper place. I’ve been provided with food and they have paid for my room. They also helped me get an identity document, and I am on a waiting list to be enrolled in the Work Readiness Programme.”

Philisiwe

Philisiwe is 30. She met Umthombo last August and completed their detox programme. They supported her with accommodation and rent and provided her with food. She told us that staff from Umthombo visited her regularly to see how she was coping.

“I am really, really happy, I must say! I recently signed up for the Work Readiness Programme, and I expect to get my first stipend at the end of the month so that I can take care of my personal needs. My life has changed a lot, and I am so grateful.”

We are delighted that Mpendulo, Director of Umthombo, is visiting Amos’ partner, New Generation, in Burundi. It’s a wonderful opportunity for both organisations to exchange valuable insights and learn from each other’s experiences. We can’t wait to update you on the exciting outcomes of this collaboration!