Brackenfell teen launches drive to help homeless

A Brackenfell teen has started a project to raise money to buy toiletries for homeless people in the northern suburbs.

Trinity van Beeck, 16, a Grade 10 Curro Durbanville High School pupil and Junior City Council member, aims to raise R11 000 through the Horizons of Hope project to help about 100 homeless people.

She says it will cost R100 to R110 to fill each toiletry pack, which she calls a Blessing Bag, with a facecloth, soap, lotion, wet wipes, sanitary towels, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

“Our mission is clear: to provide essential hygiene kits to the most vulnerable members of our society,” she said.

“It is no secret that homelessness in South Africa has reached unprecedented levels. Despite our country’s rich cultural diversity and vast economic potential, we are also confronted with the challenge of homelessness.

“A substantial portion of our population grapples with the harsh realities of living without a stable shelter. For these individuals and their families, obtaining access to basic hygiene products often proves to be an impossible task, further intensifying the challenges that most of us can't even begin to imagine.”

Trinity’s mother, Marisa Laas, said her daughter had “always been a beautiful, empathetic soul with a heart for those less fortunate than herself”.

Donations can be made through BackaBuddy.