“This means a lot to us. Our boys can look clean and tidy around the house.” Melvin Koopman, programme director at Beth Uriel, shared with us what the donation of shaving products means to the young men attending their facility.
Providing resources that give hope and dignity to young men
On 19 November we celebrate International Men’s Day, which brings attention to the positive value men bring to the world, their families, and communities. International Men’s Day encourages men to teach the boys in their lives the values, character and responsibilities of being a man. Now and then, we receive non-food donations, for example, of toiletries, which we distribute to beneficiary organisations that need them. These donations are highly valued as they are expensive items but are important everyday personal hygiene items.
We recently spent a day visiting organisations that uplift the lives and restore the dignity of men and handing out razors and shaving cream generously donated by Procter and Gamble. Beth Uriel in Salt River, Cape Town, is a non-profit organisation that provides young men between 18 and 24 years of age from impoverished communities the chance to pursue meaningful, independent lives through providing a supportive living environment, educational opportunities, positive social alternatives and life skills training. Their programmes include job readiness, peer support, group work, counselling, and re-integration into school and academic life. An essential component of their programme is the provision of three meals a day and other basic needs. FoodForward SA’s monthly food provisions are a core part of their holistic programme, as they enable the organisation to provide the young men in their care with healthy, nutritious meals.

Beth Uriel men selling coffee at FoodForward SA’s World Food Day activation, 16 October
A blessing for men experiencing homelessnessThe Haven Night Shelter in Retreat provides temporary shelter, physical care, social welfare and family re-unification services to adult homeless persons in the Western Cape. The Haven is one of 212 shelters that receive monthly food provisions from FoodForward SA. These shelters enable us to reach over 212 vulnerable women, men, and people experiencing homelessness. The donation meant something a little different for The Haven’s residents. Aubrey Robinson, acting managing director, said: “We are blessed to receive the products and that it will go a long way for the male residents we cater for who were once homeless on the streets.”

Helping men with disabilities
We distributed more of the same toiletry products to residents of Musawathuto Centre for Disabled People and Soweto Association of Persons with Disabilities. Both organisations, located in Gauteng, are dedicated to supporting and improving the quality of life of people living with disabilities and related disorders. This generous donation put smiles on many of our beneficiaries’ faces.

Musawathuto Centre for Disabled People, Johannesburg

Soweto Association of People with Disabilities
FoodForward SA is dedicated to serving organisations like Beth Uriel, The Haven, Musawathuto Centre for Disabled People and Soweto Association for People with Disabilities.
Donate to FoodForward SA and help us continue to provide critical transformational opportunities for at-risk youth and men.