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OPINION | How spending a night on the street transformed my view on homelessness
After spending a night on the streets, Wendy Dondolo, IOL journalist reflects on the true meaning of empathy and the importance of understanding homelessness beyond mere statistics.
WATCH: How IOL's 'Elevate Her' campaign gave voice to homeless women
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 to host annual GBV, leadership conference and banquet in Durban
SAWON foundation is set to host a conference on gender-based violence and leadership in Durban.
‘I feel I can take on the world’: Homeless mother reunites with daughter after 26 years of separation
After 26 years apart, an IOL video posted to TikTok reunites a homeless mother with her long-lost daughter, proving love knows no boundaries.
How IOL’s Elevate HER campaign changed lives
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.
Elevate HER: Offering an ear, a meal and toiletries to Joburg’s homeless women
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.
Elevate HER: From drug addiction to building a life
She lives in Rea Thusana, a supportive home provided by U-Turn, where she continues to learn responsibility and take on new challenges.
Elevate HER: From the streets to a safe haven – Noluthando’s tough journey to a better life
Noluthando Msenge’s path has been one of resilience.
Elevate HER: Our streets are not all littered with criminal elements or drug addicts
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. . .
Elevate Her: Pertunia’s journey from teenage rebellion to street survival
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.
Elevate HER: Shattered but not broken — Tessa Jensen rebuilds her life from despair to redemption
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.
Elevate HER: Abandoned but not broken, Zinzi Mfundisi’s journey from Cape Town to the streets of Joburg
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.
Elevate HER: A mother’s love and unshakable faith drive Jolene’s fight for a better tomorrow
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.
Elevate HER: Abused Joburg woman struggles without ID, seeks help to rebuild her life
‘’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.
Elevate HER: Former homeless sex worker dreams of being united with her children
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.
Elevate HER: Rise and shine – Beloved snack vendor Alvina Luthuli is up before dawn on Joburg’s busy streets
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.
Elevate HER: Street scone seller – Spirited, creative, Priscilla Ngwenya turns from job rejection to self-employment
“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.
Elevate HER: Against all odds, Phumzile's quest to provide for her family
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.
Elevate HER: ‘Give young people a chance’, homeless woman begs government to do right by unhoused people
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.
Elevate HER: Boniswa Myali – A tale of resilience and redemption amid the struggles of street life
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.
Elevate HER: From resilience to redemption — the story of Fikile Magwaza
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.
Elevate HER: From homeless sex worker at 12 to helping others in need
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.
Elevate HER: Rising above adversity — the inspiring story of Patricia Kaiser
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.
Elevate HER: ‘It can only get better from here’, says brave woman who strives to have a prosperous life
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.
A spark of compassion can ignite an inferno of Ubuntu
Editor Lance Witten explains the significance of IOL’s Elevate Her Women’s Month campaign.