To provide dignity to the homeless and neglected and side-lined by our society.
Chow4Change is a collaborative initiative between the NGO, Government and Private sectors. Orchestrated by New Acropolis South Africa and the Displaced Persons Sub-Unit, various NGO’s and volunteers from the public come together at the homeless shelter at 3 Kotze Street, Braamfontein to create a day of dignity for the homeless.
New Acropolis is an international organization of philosophical, cultural and humanitarian nature. Their mission is to revive philosophy and promote the timeless values that have been at the heart of all civilizations offering a holistic education.
New Acropolis understands philosophy in its classical sense as love of wisdom. Wisdom is something practical and active rather than purely intellectual. It is knowing how to act, learning to discern what is right and knowing which ends are worth striving for. Philosophy is a quest for the profound meaning of life and for the understanding and mastery of oneself.
“New Acropolis was founded in 1957 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) by Jorge Angel Livraga Rizzi (1930 – 1991). Today, New Acropolis is present in more than 50 countries on five continents and has branches in over 400 cities. Its areas of activity are: philosophy, culture and volunteering.”
At a Chow4Change event, the team distribute clothing to the homeless by creating a ‘shop’ manned by volunteers where the customers can come and pick items which they like and need. All the clothing is screened to ensure it is not badly damaged and is clean. Volunteer shop assistants assist the homeless in picking out their garments of choice.
At the event the patrons also have access to medical advice, financial services, and the opportunity to shower and clean up using the shelter facilities.
Food is distributed in an equivalent manner where a restaurant is created in the shelter, with a functioning kitchen and body of waitrons made up of volunteers, with live entertainment. The homeless are shown to a table and can pick from the available meals, all of which are donated from the public and nearby restaurants.
All the while the focus is to provide them with the respect and dignity which most of us take for granted daily but is so rarely afforded to the people who live on our streets.
“We aim to do this while not only raising awareness of their plight but also fostering a spirit of volunteerism in the community.”
The next Chow4Change will be held on Saturday the 24’th of March from 11:00 to 15:00, and will be attended by city dignitaries who are supporting our initiative:
- Herman Mashaba – Johannesburg Mayor
- Dr. Mpho Phalatse – Johannesburg MMC: HEALTH & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
- Alan Grobler – City of Johannesburg Social Development
by 