A safe, stable home is the foundation for both mental and physical wellbeing. It provides more than just shelter, it offers security, dignity, and a sense of belonging.
When people have a good home, they can rest without fear, heal from past trauma, and begin to rebuild their lives with hope.
It becomes a space where dreams are made possible, where routines can form, and where the future can be planned with confidence. A good home isn’t just a roof over someone’s head, it’s the first step toward a healthier, brighter future.
Access to clean, safe ablution facilities is a basic human need, and a matter of dignity and respect.
For people experiencing homelessness, having a place to wash, use the toilet, and care for their hygiene is essential not only for physical health but also for self-worth.
Decent ablution facilities help prevent disease, restore confidence, and allow individuals to face each day with a sense of normalcy and pride. Everyone deserves the right to feel clean, respected, and human, no matter their circumstances.
Many homeless shelters operate with outdated, inadequate kitchens that make it difficult to prepare healthy, nutritious meals.
This not only affects the wellbeing of those they serve but also limits opportunities for growth and dignity. By upgrading these kitchens, we can provide better meals that support physical and mental health and create training spaces where homeless individuals can learn valuable culinary skills.
These training kitchens offer more than food; they offer a pathway to self-reliance, employment, and hope for a better future.
Early Childhood Education (ECD) is vital for a child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development, especially in the earliest years of life.
For children living in homeless shelters, missing out on ECD means falling behind before they’ve even had a chance to begin. Without early learning, these children face long-term disadvantages in school and life.
Thanks to the support of the Swiss Embassy in South Africa, a new ECD center has been built to serve vulnerable children and uplift the entire community.
It also hosts accredited ECD training for 14 rural ECD centers, helping to raise the standard of early learning across the region and giving more children a fair start in life.
Young people living in homeless shelters face enormous challenges when it comes to education. Often, there are no funds for basic school supplies like paper, pens, or uniforms. With no quiet space to study, no access to the internet, and no computer to complete assignments, staying on track becomes nearly impossible.
These barriers can quickly lead to falling behind or dropping out. At We4SA, we are committed to breaking this cycle by ensuring every school-age child is enrolled, stays in school, and has the tools and support needed to succeed.
Education is their path out of poverty, and we make sure they don’t walk it alone.
Skills development and adult education are powerful tools for breaking the cycle of homelessness.
At We4SA, we believe it’s never too late to start again. That’s why we support adults in homeless shelters to complete their high school diplomas, earn certificates in kitchen care and cooking, and pursue meaningful careers.
Some are now studying to become lawyers, while others are training to be homeschool facilitators.
Through upcoming courses from Worldchefs and other internationally recognized institutions, we are opening doors to opportunity, confidence, and independence, empowering people to rebuild their lives with purpose and pride.
Having a vegetable garden at a homeless shelter is a vital step toward self-sustainability and food security.
It provides fresh, nutritious produce to improve daily meals while also reducing reliance on outside donations. Beyond food, gardens offer therapeutic benefits, teach valuable skills, and create a sense of purpose and pride for residents.
We4SA, in partnership with the Swiss Embassy in South Africa and other supporters, is committed to helping shelters build and maintain their own gardens, growing not just food, but hope and independence.
We4SA is launching a transformative project to build training and teaching kitchens in homeless shelters across South Africa.
In partnership with Worldchefs and the Swiss Hotel School South Africa, these kitchens will not only provide vital culinary training for homeless individuals but also serve as hubs for preparing nutritious meals.
Through our agreement with Meals on Wheels South Africa, these kitchens will help deliver food parcels to the elderly and frail in surrounding communities.
By turning shelters into skill-building and service centers, we aim to create income-generating opportunities that support long-term sustainability and dignity for all involved.
A garden snail farm is a low-cost, high-return initiative that can bring meaningful benefits to homeless shelters. Snails require minimal space and resources to farm, making them ideal for shelter environments.
With proper care, snail farming can generate a steady income through local and international markets where escargot and snail-based products are in high demand.
We4SA already has agreements in place with both snail product buyers and trusted suppliers, ensuring a ready market and smooth setup. Beyond income, these farms offer residents hands-on skills in sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship, creating new pathways to dignity, purpose, and long-term self-sufficiency.
