Umthombo has seen a rise in young women living on the streets due to domestic violence and poverty. Many of these women, with limited options, are often forced into sex work or become dependent on drugs and exploitative relationships.
Umthombo’s outreach workers visit the streets to build trust and offer a pathway to recovery, starting with detox and extending to a comprehensive programme aimed at helping them reclaim their independence.
Umthombo offers a two-week detox programme in a serene game reserve, providing a peaceful environment away from the streets.
This includes a seven-day medical detox followed by a natural detox process, helping women take the first steps toward overcoming substance dependency. This unique setting offers them the opportunity to reflect and reset, setting the stage for their journey to recovery.
Umthombo offers a pathway to recovery
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After completing detox, women are invited to join Umthombo’s Independent Living Programme, which provides six months of supported accommodation. During this time, women receive vital life skills training to help them live independently and safely care for their children. The programme includes support for securing identification documents, education, and preparation for employment.
“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.” A participant in the Umthombo Independent Living Programme
Through these efforts, Umthombo enables young women to break free from exploitation and dependency, reclaim their independence, rebuild their lives and create a stable future for themselves and their children.
Amos Trust is supporting Umthombo’s work with young women living on the streets of Durban. This includes a detox programme in a peaceful environment to help women overcome substance dependency and their Independent Living Programme, which provides accommodation, life skills training, and support to help them rebuild their lives and regain independence.
Photography: Simphiwe Mdunge and Alison Sloane
Take a look through our range of resources, including blog posts, downloads and products, to find out more about our Street Justice work.
In our first blog post of the year, you will read about some of the occasions in 2024 when we heard about the ‘other world’ taking a breath. Sometimes, it was a long, deep gasp of air, others a rattly asthmatic cough. We are working with some great people on plans for 2025, which we are excited about and look forward to sharing with you soon but for now, below are some of our highlights from 2024.
Our second book of poetry, prose, creative writing and reflection is now available. ‘Seeds Of Hope: More Thoughts and Reflections from Amos Trust’ has contributions from Zena Kazeme, Arundhati Roy, Ben Okri, Cornel West, Angela Davis, Robert Cohen, Maya Angelou and our partner Abdelfattah Abusrour. “What a wonderful collection of writing — rich, deep, broad, funny, touching, angry, and, most importantly, encouraging.” Brian Eno — producer, musician, writer and artist.
Our Digital Gift Certificates are an ideal present for those hard-to-buy-for friends and relatives in your life. Gifts include shelter packs for families in Gaza, food vouchers for families in Bethlehem, life skills programmes for young women in South Africa and wetland clean-ups for communities in Mexico. Prices range from £10-£50.
Umthombo has seen a rise in young women living on the streets due to domestic violence and poverty. Many of these women, with limited options, are often forced into sex work or become dependent on drugs and exploitative relationships. Umthombo’s outreach workers visit the streets to build trust and offer a pathway to recovery, starting with detox and extending to a comprehensive programme aimed at helping them reclaim their independence.
New Generation works tirelessly to support children living on the streets and young women employed as domestic workers in Burundi. Their outreach programme focuses on building relationships with vulnerable children, offering essential services like meals, medical assistance and educational support. The organisation also runs a dedicated programme for young women in domestic work, providing a safe space for them to understand their rights and access the support they need to break free from exploitation.
Since 1995, Karunalaya has been advocating for the rights of children and families living on the streets of Chennai, India. Over the past year, they have provided essential support to over 3,000 families facing extreme poverty and displacement. Their work continues to tackle child marriage, child labour, and gender-based violence — issues that have been exacerbated by economic and social challenges in recent years.
Domestic violence and poverty often push women in Mwanza onto the streets, where survival forces them into sex work, leading to unwanted pregnancies or increased vulnerability to health risks. Cheka Sana offers a new path, supporting these women in starting a life away from the streets. The programme helps them develop skills through apprenticeships, guiding them towards self-sufficiency while offering sexual and reproductive health support to ensure their well-being.
Lindo and Mpendulo from Amos partner Umthombo Street Children visited the UK from Durban, South Africa, in May this year. As well as visiting supporters nationwide, they spent time in Tower Hamlets, London, with a former Umthombo volunteer. Karin Joseph writes.
Amos Trust
7 Bell Yard, London
WC2A 2JR
UK
Telephone:
+44 (0) 203 725 3493
Email:
[email protected]
Registered Charity No.
1164234
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