Latest News & Developments
One of the top stories shared was of Patricia Kaiser, a 49-year-old mother of three from Paarl in Western Cape. Patricia became homeless at the age of 16, after her sister expelled her following their father's funeral.
SAWON foundation is set to host a conference on gender-based violence and leadership in Durban.
After 26 years apart, an IOL video posted to TikTok reunites a homeless mother with her long-lost daughter, proving love knows no boundaries.
During the month of August, IOL celebrated Women’s Month by highlighting the housing insecure women of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban during our Elevate Her campaign.
Through a series of stories produced by IOL reporters from three of the country’s large metros, IOL has managed to share these women’s stories from Johannesburg.
She lives in Rea Thusana, a supportive home provided by U-Turn, where she continues to learn responsibility and take on new challenges.
Noluthando Msenge’s path has been one of resilience.
The streets of Durban is home to a whopping 16,000 homeless people. In a city beset with challenges, Zohra Teke explores the stories behind some of the city's homeless. . .
At the young age of 23, she finds herself fighting a drug addiction, seeking shelter and fending for herself on the streets. She blames her current state on the decisions she made while she was still a teenager.
Tessa Jensen's journey from addiction and homelessness to healing and self-love inspires. Battling through trauma, she discovers hope and resilience, proving it's never too late to rebuild your life.
Joburg was much larger and more intimidating than she had anticipated. She wandered the busy streets for a while, searching for her aunt with nothing more than a faded address written on a piece of paper.
Jolene Fischer's journey from the streets of Cape Town is one of resilience, fuelled by a mother's unwavering love and unshakable faith in the hope of a brighter future.
‘’I would be thrilled to get an ID to prove I am a South African and find a job. It's stressful because I can't stop dreaming about holding it in my hands,’’ a tearful Thandi Mahlangu said.
This woman told IOL that she is never going back to the streets and that she has tunnel vision in which her only focus is on a better life for herself and her children.
By 7am, Alvina Luthuli is at her spot – a locked doorway of an old building near the busy intersection of Wanderers Estate – where office workers, students, and passers-by have become her loyal customers.
“Sometimes people dismiss us when we’re selling on the streets, undermining our efforts and thinking we’re just bored or clueless. It’s painful because they don’t realise we’re here out of necessity, not choice,” she told IOL News.
When Phumzile Mlangeni (53) arrived in the streets of Braamfontein two decades ago, she never saw herself as a street vendor. However, due to a lack of job opportunities, she had no choice but ended up taking that path.
Thobile stands at the traffic lights (robots) just outside of Westville Mall, with a cup in hand, begging motorists and pedestrians alike for spare change. However, she has big dreams.
From a hopeful start in Durban to facing the harsh reality of street life, Boniswa Myali’s gripping tale reveals the challenges she endured and her unwavering determination to overcome them.
Meet Fikile Magwaza, a woman who has faced imaginable challenges, from teenage motherhood to homelessness and illness, yet remains a shining example of hope and determination.
Dlamini was homeless and became a sex worker at the cusp of teenagehood at just 12-years-old. However, she managed to turn her life around and rise from the ashes like a phoenix that she is.
The incredible journey of Patricia Kaiser, a mother from Paarl, who, despite life’s hardships, continues to dream of a better future for herself and her children.
Asanda Zincume, 30, defines strength, courage and bravery. Zincume says she wants a prosperous life after all the hardship she survived, and believes it can only get better.
Editor Lance Witten explains the significance of IOL’s Elevate Her Women’s Month campaign.
IOL’s ‘Elevate Her’ campaign aims to donate at least 300 dignity packs including toiletries and underwear to homeless women in the country’s biggest metros.