Homeless and hungry until one day he found refuge
TOM Frangoulis is apologetic and slightly embarrassed by his trembling hands.
‘‘It’s the side effects of the medication,” he said.
Medication helps him to manage his combination of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Frangoulis is 57 years old with no job, barely any money and no family.
He might have complaints about the food at the Gordonia Rehab Centre, but he says it is better than living on the streets — something he did for seven years.
Born in Zimbabwe, Frangoulis was an aircraft fitter and eventually became a writer of technical manuals.
He lost his job in 1996 and was homeless — but crafty.
‘‘I used to sneak into Joburg Gen [Charlotte Maxeke Hospital] during visiting hours and sleep in the basement, especially during winter.
‘‘I used to even sneak into the SABC towers in Auckland Park to watch TV and eat meals when the SABC had functions,” he said. At night he slept in parks. In the daytime, he used the washrooms at shopping malls to clean up and ‘‘bump” people for money.
‘‘No one likes being asked for money and I found it difficult to ask,” he said.
‘‘At first I didn’t know what to say. I struggled with confidence and I felt embarrassed and humiliated.”
After he was arrested for stealing a block of cheese from a supermarket, he eventually found temporary accommodation.
‘‘That’s when the Greek church stepped in to help me. They gave me a place to stay in a house in Triomf [Sophiatown], but that’s when I started hearing the voices.
‘‘I went up to the attic one night and started punching holes in the ceiling because I wanted to find out who was there,” said Frangoulis.
Then he found Gordonia. That was 10 years ago.
The organisation is funded by the R1 908 subsidy it receives for each resident from the Department of Health and R800 from each resident’s R1 350 disability grant.
But Frangoulis is critical of the South African Social Security Agency, which pays the grants.
‘‘They expect you to apply for your disability grant every year.
“Then you have to reapply in the month that it lapses.
“Then it takes two months to take effect and you have no money for two months and they don’t back-pay you.”
He is hopeful that one day he might win the lotto.
‘‘If I ever win, I’ll invest some of it, buy a flat and take one or two of my friends from here so we can live together.
“If I don’t win, I guess I’m going to die here.” — Monica Laganparsad