Beth Uriel (which means “House of Light” in Hebrew) was started in 1987. The organisation supports young men from disadvantaged backgrounds, striving to give them an opportunity to pursue meaningful, independent lives through a supportive living environment, which involves assistance with applying for bursaries, assistance with their studies in the form of tutors, practical training and life skills.
The home is run like a family household, all the young men have chores and responsibilities such as cleaning the home, each group has a night where they need to cook dinner for the entire group and everyone has to attend church on Sunday mornings. Each of the young men creates a growth plan and selects an ultimate goal which they would like to achieve when they first come into the home, and this plan is reviewed quarterly to make sure they are still on track to achieving their goals. This helps them set and stick to goals, develop their personalities, gives them a positive attitude and helps to rehabilitates their emotional state.
All cost of food, transport, school books, stationery and other expenses are carried by Beth Uriel who have limited resources available to them. As part of its sustainability plan, Beth Uriel has established a social enterprise which consists of an innovative coffee shop built in a recycled container as well as a successful fashion brand called Me Kasi. Both of these innovative projects were set up not only to help sustain the organisation, but to teach the boys entrepreneurial skills and give them work experience.
Beth-Uriel currently has 20 young men, ages between 16 and 24 years old. With the support of FoodBank SA the organisation is able to provide its beneficiaries with nutritious meals 3 times a day 7 days a week. The donated food they receive from FoodBank SA and their donors allows Beth Uriel to save funds on their grocery bill. This is reinvested into the organisation, giving these young men an even better service.
If you like local brands and roasted coffee visit Beth-Uriel in Woodstock Cape Town or visit their website http://www.bethuriel.co.za/ . Every cup of coffee you buy is an investment in a young man’s future. Visit their Facebook page for more information about the coffee shop www.facebook.com/mekasikafe