A River of Hope for the homeless

JEREMY van Wyk used to be homeless, a person who lived under a bridge and ate out of rubbish bins.

In 2005, after he was raped and subsequently diagnosed as HIV positive, his world fell apart and he ended up on the street. But about three months ago he decided to take back control of his life.He approached the Khomasdal Baptist Church.Since then he has not only turned around his own life, but also those of the people who used to live with him on the street.Pastor Piet van Wyk and his wife Rosa took Jeremy in and helped him get started with his ‘River of Hope’ organisation.For the past three months they have been driving homeless people from Panga Street in Katutura to the church once a week.There the people receive a healthy meal, spiritual guidance and those with medical needs are taken to a clinic.MAKING ENDS MEET Until recently the Van Wyk couple had been financing everything out of their own pocket.Denny Zaal and Lionel Dunn have been helping with food donations.To date there are up to 30 homeless people who gather every Wednesday and the organisation hopes that with enough donations they will be able to also feed the people after church on Sundays.”We want to help the people to get back on their feet.Our first priority is their health and that is why we take them to the hospital when needed,” says Rosa.Jeremy had been living on the street for two years and believes that he has been given a second chance in life.”I want to help the people to get out of this situation just like I was helped out of it,” he says.He also hopes that the River of Hope organisation will grow and that it will keep going after his death, as there will always be homeless people under a bridge somewhere who need food, clothing and help.TOUCHED Knowing the hardships of the street, Jeremy was touched by Emma and Smiley, two people who have been together for two years but could not afford to get married.Jeremy and the Van Wyk couple organised a proper wedding for the couple with a white wedding dress, a suit for the groom, a cake and a reception for their homeless friends.Emma has been living on the street for seven years and she never dreamed that she could have a white wedding.”This was a dream come true and the most special moment in my life,” she says.Emma says life on the street is very hard.The couple sneak into people’s gardens late at night to catch a few hours of sleep and leave again very early in the morning so that they won’t be caught.Smiley was a Police officer for four years but his life was ruined by alcoholism.As he started drinking more and more, he lost his job and all his possessions and ended up on the street about two years ago.With the help of River of Hope, both of them have stopped drinking and become Christians.”We are now slowly coming right.We used to drink all the time but now we want to be as clean as snow,” says Smiley.Both want to get their lives back and lead a normal life with dignity, and they are working towards this goal with the help of Jeremy and River of Hope.But about three months ago he decided to take back control of his life.He approached the Khomasdal Baptist Church.Since then he has not only turned around his own life, but also those of the people who used to live with him on the street.Pastor Piet van Wyk and his wife Rosa took Jeremy in and helped him get started with his ‘River of Hope’ organisation.For the past three months they have been driving homeless people from Panga Street in Katutura to the church once a week.There the people receive a healthy meal, spiritual guidance and those with medical needs are taken to a clinic. MAKING ENDS MEET Until recently the Van Wyk couple had been financing everything out of their own pocket.Denny Zaal and Lionel Dunn have been helping with food donations.To date there are up to 30 homeless people who gather every Wednesday and the organisation hopes that with enough donations they will be able to also feed the people after church on Sundays.”We want to help the people to get back on their feet.Our first priority is their health and that is why we take them to the hospital when needed,” says Rosa.Jeremy had been living on the street for two years and believes that he has been given a second chance in life.”I want to help the people to get out of this situation just like I was helped out of it,” he says.He also hopes that the River of Hope organisation will grow and that it will keep going after his death, as there will always be homeless people under a bridge somewhere who need food, clothing and help. TOUCHED Knowing the hardships of the street, Jeremy was touched by Emma and Smiley, two people who have been together for two years but could not afford to get married.Jeremy and the Van Wyk couple organised a proper wedding for the couple with a white wedding dress, a suit for the groom, a cake and a reception for their homeless friends.Emma has been living on the street for seven years and she never dreamed that she could have a white wedding.”This was a dream come true and the most special moment in my life,” she says.Emma says life on the street is very hard.The couple sneak into people’s gardens late at night to catch a few hours of sleep and leave again very early in the morning so that they won’t be caught.Smiley was a Police officer for four years but his life was ruined by alcoholism.As he started drinking more and more, he lost his job and all his possessions and ended up on the street about two years ago.With the help of River of Hope, both of them have stopped drinking and become Christians.”We are now slowly coming right.We used to drink all the time but now we want to be as clean as snow,” says Smiley.Both want to get their lives back and lead a normal life with dignity, and they are working towards this goal with the help of Jeremy and River of Hope.