Esplanade no walk in park
Brother put diabetic amputee on streets Samaritans whose help eases the hardships of the needy
WRAPPED in black refuse bags and a filthy duvet, Lennox Khwakhini has for 10 years made the East London Esplanade his home.
The amputee, who lost his right leg to diabetes in his teens, said he had come to East London to seek a job.
Born without the use of his legs as a result of a condition he cannot name, Khwakhini said it was through his mother’s efforts that he came to walk with the use of crutches after a number of successful surgeries. The amputation came years later. Khwakhini does not know his age and cannot read or write, although he claims his mother had tried to enrol him in a school.
Sitting on the wall along the esplanade, Khwakhini said it was after his mother’s sudden death that his older brother kicked him out of the house, forcing him to leave his ID and bank card behind.
Khwakhini accuses his brother of misusing his disability grant.
“When my brother kicked me out, I decided to come to East London to look for assistance. I had some of my clothes and a wheelchair back then, but I’ve got nothing now,” he said.
Khwakhini, who still battles with diabetes, said he could not take his medication as he often goes days without food.
“People give food when they want to and I’m grateful, but sometimes days go by without any food. That means I can’t take my medication otherwise it makes me sick,” Khwakhini said.
Although he remembers his family home, Khwakhini said he does not know his age and looks confused when asked about the rest of his family.
Sassa spokesman Kgomoco Diseko said cases of this kind come to their attention with information received from the community.
“As per policy, it is incorrect for someone to collect a grant if they are not the beneficiary’s caregiver and don’t live with them,” Diseko said.
“In many cases of this nature where a person is mentally ill, a proxy is appointed to collect the social grant on their behalf and to use it in the beneficiary’s interest. The social worker assists in this process to ensure that the grant is used for the purpose it was awarded for.
“In this case the brother is collecting the money illegally and will have to be brought to book. Lennox has to be linked with a social worker so his Sassa card can be stopped and a new one issued that the brother can no longer have access.”
Diseko said the matter would be investigated. — IT WAS a Daily Dispatch report on the plight of the homeless in East London two years ago that spurred local resident Michelle Kerr to work with the homeless.
According to Kerr, it was while reading the sad stories that she learned of the shortage of people providing care to the destitute, and it touched her heart. She spent two years researching the field, finally registering the non-profit organisation Wings Shelter in January.
Through the NPO, with assistance from members and volunteers, Kerr said they hit city streets once a month to provide the homeless with food, clothes and basic cosmetics.
“We make food parcels based on whatever food donations we receive from our sponsors during the month,” Kerr said.
“Sometimes we get lucky and people donate clothes and cosmetics like soap and facecloths, which we also include in the packs.”
Kerr said many of the younger homeless were runaways from abusive homes, while older teenagers had often grown up in orphanages.
“When they turn 18 they get kicked out. With no family, money or jobs, the streets become their home. With the adults it’s usually as a result of retrenchment as well as losing their house.”
As there is no homeless shelter in East London, Kerr said she was in the process of finding premises to open one where she could offer a night’s stay and a meal.
She is not alone in her fight to help the needy. A former pastor from Trinity Methodist Church in Oxford Street started a soup kitchen over 20 years ago after being touched by the number of people who knocked on the church door asking for food. The pastor died earlier this year, but his legacy lives on.
Ingredients are bought from the congregation’s tithe, with a bread donation from a local bakery. About 160 people are served every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“Members of the congregation and a team of volunteers cook the soup,” church secretary Marilyn Bachmann said.
For another who helps the homeless, Egoli resident Bennie Davids, it was the sight of a little girl eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich on Christmas Day that inspired him to quit his job and start a community feeding scheme. He and his wife Monica rolled up their sleeves, dug deep into their pockets and bought ingredients for soup.
Not long after that, the Davids established the Haven Care Centre, which provides aid of all kind to the surrounding community. “I’ve known for a long time that … I was put here to help people,” Davids said. “We decided to leave our community and move into an RDP house. We survive on just R100 a week. This experience has really opened our eyes to so many things.”