Cape Town - South Africa's first and only LGBTQIA+ shelter in Oranjezicht, Pride Shelter Trust is in desperate need of repairs as the cold winter season approaches.
The shelter is attempting to raise R80 000 in the next two months to cover repairs and has asked volunteers and donors to assist.
The money raised would go towards the repair of the exterior and interior of the building, including electrical maintenance, plumbing maintenance, fixing of windows and doors, and the security gate.
The organisation, which was established in 2011, provides short-term accommodation to the LGBTQIA+ group with its objectives of promoting dignity, respect, and a sense of personal empowerment among members of the queer community.
It houses 20 people who stay for three months and go through various programmes which include counselling, wellness, and skills development.
Managing director, Nicole Alexander said currently the building is in a terrible condition and needed major fixing.
“The building is one of the heritage sites that belong to the City of Cape Town and since 2011 there hasn't been any maintenance and repairs done to it. We lease from the City and our responsibility is to ensure its upkeep, maintenance, and repairs.
“When I stepped in in 2019 we started doing small renovations internally. So just fixing up some windows and doors, minor fixing, but now there's just been a huge call to do major renovations of the outside structure like the painting.
“So right now the building needs a lot of TLC and so far we have fixed leaks that were adding to our water bill,” she said.
Alexander said as the first LGBTQIA+ shelter in Africa, they didn't want to lose the safe space and wanted to ensure that their clients lived in a homely atmosphere. She said it was important to keep the shelter operational as traditional shelters were not able to cater to the specific community.
“What we do differently is that we have got different dorms to place different gender identities and sexual orientations, because we encourage and we invite a space where people can be true to who they are within their sexuality, but secondly, a home for healing to happen.
“So offering a service like this, it's very unique, hard work but at the same time cater to this group of people because there are no other safe spaces that offer services,” she said.
Anyone willing to donate to the shelter can contact Alexender at 021 423 2871 or [email protected].