With Stellenbosch University's (SU) focus on social impact awareness in July, this series of profiles celebrate remarkable individuals and teams who make a meaningful contribution beyond the University's walls. The recent inaugural Social Impact Awards recognised academic and professional administrative support services (PASS) staff at SU who are driving positive change in diverse spheres of life. Merin Raju Jacob, a junior researcher at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST), was one of the winners in the individual category of the Social Impact Awards for her work with the advocacy group the Stellenbosch Homelessness Forum (SHF).
With torrential rain and stormy winds battering Stellenbosch this week, many people's lives have been disrupted. The plight of the most vulnerable individuals in town came into sharp focus as homeless people desperately sought protection against the elements. As someone with a personal and academic interest in addressing this issue, Merin Jacob understands the mixed emotions that homelessness evokes.
Her journey with the SHF began last year when the municipality called for volunteers interested in addressing homelessness. Jacob eagerly responded. Her passion for the cause, combined with a background in engineering and sustainability transitions, has driven her to help seek solutions that are both compassionate and practical.
The SHF is a collective formed by organisations and individuals who aim to understand and jointly design pathways for the homeless or unsheltered people in Stellenbosch, Jacob explains. As convenor of the executive committee, she brings together stakeholders such as the local municipality, the Stellenbosch night shelter, SU, the Winelands Safety Initiative, the Department of Social Development and several churches and NGOs.
“The past year has been a steep learning curve for us as we tried to understand what homelessness entails in Stellenbosch and how we can work together," Jacob points out. “We've tried to create a shared understanding of what the problems are and what our focus should be. We've put together a sort of mapping of all the institutions dealing with homelessness to streamline referrals.
“We conducted a survey last year with 67 people within the homeless community trying to understand the situation specifically here in Stellenbosch. We also conducted a public perception survey to gauge how the general public engages with the homeless and where they feel responsibility lies. We believe the solutions can't rest entirely with the municipality or local authorities. We understand the challenges that the local government faces. Homelessness is everyone's concern."
Collaborative, targeted and consistent efforts are required to get individuals off the streets and re-integrated into society. That is exactly what the SHF is trying to achieve, Jacob explains.
Fostering partnerships
Jacob is excited about collaborating with organisations that have had success elsewhere such as U-turn and MES (an organisation that empowers homeless and unemployed individuals holistically in cities across South Africa). “U-Turn Homeless Ministries is quite a large organisation, and they have excellent programmes to help individuals overcome homelessness through skills development, addiction recovery and employment opportunities. We're eager to learn from them."
The SHF is keen to establish a drop-in facility for U-turn in Stellenbosch to make resources available to homeless people during the day.
As a researcher at the CST, Jacob's academic interest is in urbanisation and just energy transitions. Degrees in mechanical engineering and future studies led her from design and engineering into complex systems. “I'm doing my master's degree trying to understand how we can reimagine cities to be both people-centric and environmentally centred using the arts. It's important to think about it from the perspective of vulnerable communities," she stresses.
Addressing homelessness requires tackling multiple layers of complexity, Jacob notes. Issues such as public toilets being closed at night and the lack of a drop-in facility for homeless individuals are among the critical challenges the SHF is trying to resolve.
One of the things Jacob learned since getting involved with the homeless community is how difficult it is to keep your belongings safe. “Homeless individuals often lose essential items like identification documents which are crucial for accessing various services. I've heard stories of people's possessions, like clothes and blankets, being burned. That sense of how little security you have is tragic to me, also because it means homeless people are caught up in a never-ending struggle to replace essential items. It explains the complexity of providing safe spaces, like night shelters, because sometimes the trade-off is staying on the street to protect what you have and can't bring into those spaces."
Originally from Tzaneen in Limpopo, Jacob says she only appreciated the value of growing up in a small town when she became a student at the University of Pretoria. “Tzaneen is the kind of place where when you go to a shop you bump into someone you know, or if you go to the library, they know your name. When I moved to Pretoria to study, the poverty I encountered was a visceral shock to me. You'd meet ten homeless people a day. Hearing the stories of kids who had to leave home because they needed to earn money for families whose breadwinners had passed away was heartbreaking."
Compassion and understanding
Her approach to homelessness is deeply rooted in understanding and compassion. She believes that everyone should feel a sense of belonging, including the homeless community. “Belonging is something that I care deeply about. Feeling like you belong somewhere is crucial, and the homeless community generally isn't treated as if they belong."
Jacob acknowledges the public perception of homelessness is often negative and there is little consensus on who should be responsible for solutions. Those who want to help and make a difference sometimes lack the knowledge about support systems.
It's important to understand the complex emotions at play when people are confronted with homelessness, Jacob says. When someone responds negatively to a homeless person, it doesn't always come from a malicious place, she observes. “Sometimes it comes from being overwhelmed or feeling helpless to make a meaningful long-term difference. Trying to distance yourself from the homeless is a common reflex. But when you listen to people who've escaped homelessness, they often say one of the worst things is being ignored and not being able to share their story.
“Part of the problem is that the homeless community is not homogenous. There are a multitude of circumstances that drive people into homelessness. A lot of the challenges that come with homelessness are simply because our economy is stagnant and we're struggling with massive unemployment. And yes, there sometimes are criminal elements in the homeless community and substance abuse is a common occurrence, often as a trauma response or a coping mechanism. I think a major concern is how we make sure that we don't have more people slipping into homelessness while we're pulling people out."
Team effort
Jacob's work is not limited to local efforts. She is involved in broader conversations, including developing a national homelessness policy with the Human Sciences Research Council and U-turn. The aim is to create a more comprehensive and caring approach to homelessness that considers the lived experiences of homeless individuals.
Reflecting on her journey since she joined SU, Jacob expresses gratitude for the support she has received from the University and the CST. “I'm really grateful to be at SU. I think academia is one of the great spaces to be when you try to address challenging problems. I work in such a phenomenal space." She credits her colleagues and managers for providing the support needed to engage in activist research and drive social change.
Jacob says winning the Social Impact Award was a big surprise. “In my acceptance speech, I made it clear this is not my individual award. I was just the person based at SU, which is why my name is on the certificate. This is a team effort," she emphasises. The award funds will go towards building and expanding the network of support that the SHF has already established.
Looking ahead, Jacob says the SHF plans to convene facilitated dialogues with various communities in Stellenbosch to better understand the issues and challenges related to homelessness. These discussions will include homeowners, businesses and students as well as the homeless community itself. “It'd be great to hear their voices and understand their perspectives," Jacob says.
Photograph: Merin Raju Jacob receives her Social Impact Award from Dr Zetu Mkize (Director: Transformation Office) and Renee Hector-Kannemeyer (Deputy Director: Social Impact and Transformation).