Homeless find hope at Windhoek church shelter

A Windhoek church is providing shelter, warm meals and hope to people experiencing homelessness this winter, with some residents describing it as a chance to rebuild their lives.

Pastor Kenneth Linnon at Khomasdal Baptist Church in Khomasdal told The Namibian last Wednesday the church opened its doors to people experiencing homelessness after seeing the growing number of people sleeping on the streets during winter.

“We looked at the challenges people in our community face and realised we had a space that could accommodate people living on the streets, at least during the winter season,” he said.

The shelter, which officially opened on 7 June and operates from the church’s premises in Khomasdal, currently accommodates about 15 people, providing them with meals, a warm bed and daily devotion sessions for N$50 a day.

Linnon said the church conducted outreach drives around Khomasdal and surrounding areas to identify people living on the streets to inform them about the shelter.

He said they also partnered with other churches and community groups to spread the word so those in need could access the shelter.

Armanzo Britz (28) tells The Namibian that before arriving at the shelter, he slept at service stations at Walvis Bay because he had nowhere to go.

He says he travelled to Windhoek to live in the shelter after hearing about it, adding that he has no immediate family in Namibia.

“If I didn’t have this opportunity, I would be sleeping at the service station like I normally used to,” he said.

Britz says the shelter has given him more than a bed, adding that the daily bible study and prayer sessions have given him hope of leaving his old life behind.

Lien Diergaardt (40), a mother of three and a recovered drug addict, tells The Namibian that she spent time in a recovery programme in South Africa before arriving at the shelter.

She says she spent 11 years of her life using crack before deciding to change her life and moved to Namibia.

However, she says she experienced homelessness after arriving.

She adds that she met pastor Linnon through the recovery programme, and learnt about the shelter from him when she arrived in Namibia.

Diergaardt says the programme gave her a fresh start after years of hardship and addiction.

“This programme helped me find my voice,” she says, adding that the shelter has helped her make better decisions.

She says she now hopes to rebuild her life and be present for her children.

A woman (51), speaking on condition of anonymity, says she arrived at the shelter two days before speaking to The Namibian after leaving what she described as an abusive family environment which left her homeless.

She says ongoing family conflict, particularly with her mother, left her feeling she had no choice but to leave home.

“I was looking for a place where I could find peace and begin rebuilding my life,” she says.

She says the shelter has given her a safe place to stay.

According to Linnon, the responses from the community have been encouraging, and he is hopeful that the shelter will remain open beyond the winter season.

While the shelter still relies on donations from the public, Linnon said it is likely to remain operational until the end of this year.

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