For some, the holiday season can be the loneliest time of the year. It certainly was for homeless activist Danny Oosthuizen.
The late Cape Argus columnist, who represented the voice of Cape Town’s homeless with his weekly insights, used to lament the time as he had no friends and family to spend this special time of the year with, writes Gasant Abarder.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here, exclusive to Cape {town} Etc.
But on Christmas Eve, a chap called Bryan Torien will change that for about 50 housing-insecure people who live under the bridge created by the elevated roadway in Green Point. Last year, Bryan roped in the Soli Philander Foundation to lay on a sit-down “Christmas Lunch Under the Bridge”. And this Christmas, the second one promises to be bigger and better.
Bryan was moved by the work of the foundation of radio and TV personality Soli Philander. It regularly feeds and looks after the well-being of the homeless community living under the bridge.
Bryan and his friends will be cooking a 4-course meal, including delicious biryani, seafood gratin, roast leg of lamb, butter chicken with roti, roast chicken, roast potato and yellow rice, and a dessert that includes boeber. The figure they will treat to the special lunch may be at 50 but as word spreads that number will inevitably spread to around 70.
The man from Hanover Park requires much-needed contributions to make the lunch a success. But more than that, he needs Capetonians from all walks of life to come out in their numbers to spend some meaningful time with the people who have become invisible to us for most of the year.
Danny wrote in his introductory column, headlined “I’m just like you … but I’m homeless”, that the housing insecure are desperate for acknowledgement: “I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. I want you to talk to me. I want you to see me. I want you to acknowledge my humanity. I want you to greet me. I’m human too. Sincerely, Danny.”
Bryan is an ordinary guy with a big heart. He works for a major car dealership in South Africa but his passion is in the kitchen where he usually prepares the most amazing meals for his nearest and dearest. What sets him aside for mere mortals is that he walks the walk while others talk.
During a trial run, cooking his butter chicken, he told me: “We create an environment where we can sit down with our guests and we can listen to them. An environment where we can show them we care and that we haven’t forgotten about them. And that is the idea behind Christmas Lunch Under the Bridge.”
Bryan added: “It’s not just about the food. It’s about the sitting down and having communion with these people as we allow them to tell their stories. We allow them the opportunity to let us know that they are human and we show them our humanity.”
Bryan said it will be exactly the same the way those with homes will celebrate Christmas with gifts and a Father Christmas.
This year’s event is slightly different, he says. The event will move from under the bridge to the courtyard of Springfield Terrace’s courtyard in District Six and hosted on what Bryan describes as a “lang tafel” – one long table where a meal is shared and memories are made. The significance is that the day is shared inside a community.
Bryan said what many don’t know, and what the City of Cape Town doesn’t readily admit, is that there are only 1,800 shelter beds for about 20,000 housing-insecure people in our city.
Soli reminded us that the homeless in our city were not foreign aliens from another planet but they were South Africans, often indigenous people, who life had dealt a cruel hand. We are a paycheque or two away from ending up in the same situation.
The commercialisation of important religious holidays like Christmas often betrays the true meaning and significance of the day. It is the birthday celebration of Jesus – not Father Christmas. And what would Jesus have done on his birthday? We can imagine he would have extended the cheer to the most vulnerable among us.
Bring the family to Springfield Terrace from mid-morning. Let the kids experience the true meaning of Christmas and at the same time remind ourselves and the homeless what it is all about. While times are tough, those of us who can open our wallets are encouraged to give towards making Christmas Lunch Under the Bridge the success it deserves to be.
- Donate to Christmas Lunch Under the Bridge:
Springfield Matters
FNB Business Account
62865817591
NPO (2020/763401/08)
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Picture: Gasant Abarder
