A trailer with four showers has been parked in Claremont to help the homeless stay clean.
Dubbed Nina Manzi, the mobile-shower pilot project was developed by Viva Con Agua, a Cape Town non-profit organisation that helps poor communities access clean water.
Project manager Sisanda Henda says the project was created while investigating the rise in homelessness post Covid-19 and the challenges the homeless were facing on the streets.
“Access to water and hygiene were at the top of the list, so it was only fitting that such a project would come into fruition. Being able to shower means that homeless people will be taken more seriously in their pursuit to improve their lives,” she said.
Viva Con Agua worked with U-turn, an organisation that helps overcome homelessness, and Baz-Art, which helped with the design of the facility.
“Although Nina Manzi provides the community with a basic service, it was important to us to come up with a design that would inspire trust: something inviting – hence the focus on beautiful art on the outside of the bus with the help of our friends at Baz-Art who have extensive experience adding creativity to social solutions,” said Viva Con Agua co-founder Ajay Paul.
Nina Manzi is parked at U-turn’s premises in Claremont, but Ms Henda said the long-term plan was for mobile showers to move around the city.
“For many homeless people, if they want assistance with anything, they have to go to the city centre. We wanted to create a project that would assist homeless people in the greater Cape Town area. Claremont also has a homeless community that is mainly being serviced by U-turn, so it made sense to go where our project collaborators were based,” she said.
Ms Henda said Nina Manzi relied on formerly homeless people who had graduated from the U-turn programme. One such person is Quinton Hess, who now works on the trailer.
“Sometimes we take so much for granted; it brings me great joy to see how a simple shower in the morning can boost someone’s confidence. I have experienced many people who rely on Nina Manzi to freshen up in the mornings before they go out looking for work,” he said.
Ms Henda said the service would need to find a way to attract more women. “The piloting phase revealed that fewer women are using Nina Manzi compared to their male counterparts. Collectively, we are looking at ways to make access to Nina Manzi easier for women.”
U-turn clients earn Mi-Change vouchers by participating in the activities at the facility. The vouchers can be exchanged for basic needs such as food, clothing, or a warm shower.
