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[File photo]
As the world reflects on the legacy of the late Pope Francis – a tireless champion for the marginalised – community activists emphasise that meaningful change often begins with small, local actions.
Known for his unwavering commitment to restoring dignity to the poor amid growing global inequality, the Pope’s teachings continue to inspire grassroots efforts worldwide.
In Cape Town, where the gap between wealth and poverty remains stark, SABC News reporter Bulelani Phillip spoke to homeless and destitute residents about their daily struggles and survival. Their stories highlight how simple acts of kindness – whether a meal, shelter, or advocacy – can ripple into transformative change.
WATCH: Cape Town NGO brings hope to homeless people
Danny Diliberto traded his chef’s whites for a different kind of service after experiencing what he describes as “a calling.” The founder of Ladles of Love, a Cape Town NGO with the motto “Changing the world one meal at a time,” has been serving hope to the city’s most vulnerable since 2014.
“All my life I have been taught to give so that you can get back, and I had an interaction with a homeless man on the very same day that I called godly conversations that I realised I needed to start a soup kitchen, and I was in the restaurant industry at the time. It was in the city, lots of homeless people, so I put a pot of soup outside my restaurant on a chilly Tuesday evening, and Ladles of Love was born,” says Diliberto.
This haven now brings hope to hundreds of homeless people in the Cape Town CBD and beyond.
“I’ve been on the streets for almost three months, three and a half months on the streets. I came here to look for work and there is no work at the moment, so I’m homeless. I get food here every day,” says a homeless person, Graeme Engelbrecht.
“I require a job to begin with. All else should I say? Shower first and new clothing. You’ll judge and make up your mind. But in all, I wish to be out of this place,” adds another homeless person, Zukile Zwelinjani.
Some volunteers use their spare time to shine light on the lives of visitors at this haven.
“I think it’s soul-fulfilling. It gives you a sense of purpose. That’s what drives me. The whole point of this project was basically to show teenagers sort of how hard some people’s lives are, and you’re volunteering at places that are helping these people,” says a volunteer.
“I always tell people to change their mindset. Take the letter m in the word me and turn it upside down. What do you get? We. You’ve got to move from a me mindset to a we mindset and when you do that, that’s where the kindness comes through, that you don’t think of yourself first; you think of others as well,” Diliberto adds.
Those working here may be strangers, but working together, they want to ensure there is humanity and solidarity with the marginalised.
For many of the people who come, this is the first and last meal of the day. They hope good Samaritans like these will continue to look after them.
