Back on his feet to help others

CARLOS Filipe Mesquita’s journey epitomises a world filled with second chances.

After having had a perfect view from his apartment in Sea Point, Mesquita went downhill to being rock bottom: sitting in a prison cell, awaiting trial for either being in possession of drugs or suspected stolen goods.

Coming back to a world that had moved on without him, Mesquita had no choice but to brave the cold pavements of Sea Point as his “skarrel ground” for five years before being escorted to Strandfontein where his life took a 180-degree turn, not only for him, but for many other homeless people.

“At Strandfontein, out of pure frustration with the horrendous conditions and suffering going on, a group of us came together and formed a committee to try to improve the circumstances. Those six weeks felt like six years and saw SHAC (the Strandfontein Homeless Action Committee) take the City to court and win. All we were asking for was that the City keep us accommodated with services for the duration of the lockdown as had been promised when we were told to go to Strandfontein.

“Unfortunately, the City did not honour the court order and we were blessed when 168 of us were offered accommodation by the then CEO of Community Chest, who offered us accommodation at their offices in the centre of town.

“That was where the big change happened. We were given complete control of the situation, agency and decision-making time of how our lives would need to look in the future.

“By the time we had to leave the Community Chest building, I had spoken to and convinced Mr (Lorenzo) Davids to support an initiative whereby homeless people would look after themselves with support services.

“This was the beginning of Our House, an independent living space for homeless people. We were initially totally funded by Community Chest, and the funding was adjusted as we progressed through the programme.”

Mesquita approached the people that had been supporting them throughout the journey to help him set up a non-profit entity and this was the birth of The Rehoming Collective.

Fast forward to today, Mesquita spearheads a project called The Homeless Hub, which sees homeless people get their IDs and driving licences, receive legal assistance, and teaches them skills such as sewing, beading, carpentry and hair braiding.

Wilma Piek, social development manager at the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District, said: “Mesquita is a talented and compassionate person, and although he has experienced the trauma of living on the streets, he is really making a difference and fighting for those still struggling with homelessness.”

Mesquita said: “I had spent the last quarter of the year attending the Inkathalo Conversations, and if there was one thing we all agreed upon when the process was finally over, it was that the system of housing homeless people in Cape Town wasn’t bent; it was broken.

“The Homeless Hub will not only be a drop-in zone and upliftment centre but also the centre where the homeless, the CID, business and community come together to address the serious issue of a solution-based challenge – homelessness – and is inspired by all the desires I had as a homeless man on the streets of Cape Town for just over five years.”