Our first AGM took place on Monday, 5th December 2022 and kicked off with a review of our activities for the past year and a bit. The DPVO team all work full-time and our Outreach commitments have to fit around work, family and leisure! As a result, some of the team have had to step back for a while but we hope they will be available in the new year. In spite of being a small team, we hosted a couple of Meet-and-Greets, and supported Streetscapes’ work where we could. It has been a busy year for the Streetscapes team – we are very proud of the way Chantel, our fieldworker, has rolled with the punches as her job has grown!
Matthew from DPVO and Rudie from Streetscapes presented the first findings from the survey that was conducted in Devil’s Peak, Vredehoek, and a few other, near-by, hotspots. Of the 93 interviews conducted, 35 of the people live within or on our boundaries; the data gives us real information about why people end up on the streets, and how they survive. It is intended to be an annual survey so that we can gradually build a database that will assist our community, Streetscapes and their partners to find ways to make a difference.
The PEP funding is now in its second year and is showing measurable, positive, outcomes. Jesse Laitinen of Streetscapes presented some statistics of the effect that having regular paid employment backed by counselling and support systems has on participants’ lives.
For a full report on the meeting, minutes can be downloaded here. In the new year we will upload the survey results when the analysis is complete.
Thank you to everyone who attended on the evening and to the Shift Coffee Bar team for hosting us.