The Graham family stopped to speak to a young man sitting outside a shop, and before long, he was on his way to have a bath, hot meal and warm bed.
Knysna, South Africa (22 July 2022) – The Graham family opened their home to a young man who has faced incredible challenges in his life. Now they hope to provide him with a space that he can call his own.
They met 24-year-old Michael one day while leaving the grocery store. The Grahams noticed him sitting quietly, not bothering anyone and decided to go and speak to him. It was quickly evident that Michael was no ordinary homeless person and was on the streets because he was misunderstood. They were moved to help him, so they invited him back to home for a bath, a meal and a comfortable bed for the night.
While the family got to know Michael, they worked on tracking down his family. Over the space of the weekend and finding his family, they learned that the situation was more complex than imagined.
Michael has mild autism, and although he is classed as an adult, his mental and emotional capacity is similar to that of an 11-year-old. He is able to care for himself, but he doesn’t have the ability to maintain employment, so life on the streets was his only alternative.
“He considers himself an adult and capable of making his own choices which makes him hard to deal with him at times. Sadly, his family’s severe financial disposition and inability to deal with his impairment are what landed him on the streets, sleeping under what he referred to as a tent turns out to be a few plastic sheets stretched over makeshift wooden pegs. There was no way we could send him back to that, and so, and he stayed on.”
Michael has been with them for around three months now and has settled in really well to their home life. Twice a week, he joins the garden helper to do a few chores and, when not doing that, keeps himself busy by dismantling old electronics.
Michael has been living inside the Graham home, but sadly, that needs to change. They needs to take in elderly grandparents, and the room where Michael has been staying is the only space for them. The family refuses to put Michael back out on the streets, so they devised a plan that will keep everyone happy and safe at home. When speaking to Michael, he has shared that he would like to stay with them too.
The Grahams have earmarked a spot right next to the house where they can build a wendy house for Michael. The room will be large enough to have a bed and bedroom essentials for him and a clear path to the house for the use of ablutions and the other living spaces.
While the Grahams are happy to keep providing for Michael as they currently are, they simply do not have the funds to set up the room. They started a crowdfund on BackaBuddy in the hopes of raising enough to get the wendy house in time, just before her grandparents arrive.
The funds raised will be used only on Michael’s accommodation and solar panels to power it. Any additional funding will be used to furnish and decorate the unit. Thereafter, the remaining funds will go towards literacy lessons so he can further his learning and education.
The goal is to raise R50,000 for this project, and so far, donors have contributed R11,000. Should you want to contribute, you can do so here.