http://antieviction.org.za/2009/12/10/media-city-homeless-say-world-cup-glamour-is-forcing-them-out/ Liberate the mind! Power to the Poor People! “The most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.” – Bantu Steve Biko Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:18:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://antieviction.org.za/2009/12/10/media-city-homeless-say-world-cup-glamour-is-forcing-them-out/#comment-3681 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:11:58 +0000 http://antieviction.org.za/?p=3850#comment-3681 [...] Its clear: Blikkiesdorp is not a place for Delft’s homeless. Its a place where the City can throw people they evict from their homes in Woodstock, Gugulethu and Belhar. Its where they can dump ‘unwanted’ foreign nationals. Its where they can hide people that live and work on the streets in Cape Town’s CBD just in time for the Word Cup. [...]

]]> http://antieviction.org.za/2009/12/10/media-city-homeless-say-world-cup-glamour-is-forcing-them-out/#comment-3560 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:39:12 +0000 http://antieviction.org.za/?p=3850#comment-3560 I have experienced the misery of homelessness at several points in my life and, although there is a certain sense of freedom to it, it is a dangerous and miserable lifestyle that is hard to rise out of. Contrary to popular belief, most homeless did not become so out of choice and not because they are lazy, stupid, or immoral. Many homeless people are victims of abuse in the form of neglect and abandonment by their parents or other caregivers. Like many victims of abuse, a lot of them have chemical dependency problems. Their pain is so deep that they use alcohol or other drugs as an escape. Some of them are simply victims of life’s tragedies, such as hurricanes, fires, or other catastrophes from which they simply don’t have the resources to recover. Also, there is a snowball effect that occurs with homelessness. After all, who is going to hire someone with no address? Most homeless people don’t have the resources to even do their laundry; who is going to hire someone in filthy clothes? Also once a person has fallen to the level of living on the streets it is very difficult for them to get a job even if they are capable of working, because the condition of homelessness creates a low sense of self-esteem which makes it difficult to relate to other people. It is difficult to find, much less keep a job once a person’s self-esteem is so badly damaged. I invite you to my blog devoted to raising awareness on homelessness: http://tcrsnst.blogspot.com/. There you will find an article and pictures I have taken of homeless people. I always give them a dollar or two for the privilege of photographing them. I am often surprised by their cheerfulness and sense of pride. Often, they will show themselves to have some kind of talent. There is a fine line between genius and insanity.

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