Without a home for Christmas
While most of us want the best phone or the biggest TV for the holidays, there are a lot of people out there who just want a warm place to sleep and a second chance at life.
Christopher Morty (33), who is a qualified chef, is new to the street life. He has been on the streets for the past four months. Morty revealed that when he lost his job and his home, there was nobody to turn to as his parents are deceased and he does not have any immediate family.
To him, Christmas means the celebration of the birth of Christ. His Christmas wish is to find a job and to get off the streets. Morty has been constantly looking for a job. He says he goes to a shelter on most nights where he receives a blanket and a bucket of water for a bath in the morning.
Sammy Mthiyane (45) lives at the corner of Brooks and Jan Shoba Streets in Menlo Park in Pretoria. He said he came to Pretoria in January this year to look for a job.
His one Christmas wish is to raise enough money to be able to go back home to Witbank in Mpumalanga for Christmas. He is currently a car guard who also offers a car washing service for a donation. Mthiyane says he also receives odd jobs from drivers; such as if someone would like their lawn swept or are in need of an extra pair of hands for moving house.
Mthiyane needs about R60 for bus fare. He said he has been getting a rand or two here and there which is difficult to save for the bus ticket back home because he spends the money on food, which is an everyday necessity. He said he would love to arrive at home at least two days before Christmas so that he can spend some time with his mother. To him, Christmas means spending time with family.
Mthiyane spends most of his nights at a nearby filling station.
Prosper Munatsi (20) left Zimbabwe for Johannesburg with his family 12 years ago and has been living at the Faraday Taxi Rank in the south of Johannesburg with his parents since they arrived in South Africa. I found him asking for money with his 50-year-old blind father, Shava, at the robots on Faraday Street. Munatsi said his mother was begging at a different intersection.
Munatsi says to him, Christmas means the day that Jesus was born, adding that his Christmas plans are to praise God.
Munatsi said that during this time of the year, people are generally more giving. He said they collect more money in December than the other months. He, however, added that this year, people are giving less. Munatsi said his Christmas wish is to become employed to allow him to get off the street and take care of his parents.
If you can help any of these men, leave a comment below and we will put you in touch.