Cape Town - Formerly homeless, Langanani Muleyo has turned his life around thanks to an organisation which seeks to bring about sustainable solutions to poverty in some of South Africa’s major cities.
Originally from Johannesburg, Muleyo credits his change of fortune to the help he received at the MES Safe Space centre, where he began his journey to rebuild his life after arriving in Cape Town.
Mould Empower Serve (MES) is a Christian integrated social development organisation established in 1986 which works to provide sustainable solutions to pervasive poverty.
“I left Joburg to come here for a fresh start but things were not easy. When I arrived, I had nowhere to go, so I went to Safe Space, an MES night shelter in Bellville. I never thought I’d have to queue there every night for a place to sleep. If I wasn’t there by 2pm I would not have a place to sleep that night,” Muleyo said.
At Safe Space, it costs R10 a day for a bed and R2 for a safety locker.
“Life was hard, but I was determined to make things work. So I made use of the guidance service MES offers its beneficiaries. I met a social worker who referred me to Grow, a job skills rehabilitation programme.
“When I started, I was earning R70 for a four-hour shift, not a lot but it covered food and shelter. Life still wasn’t easy but, while I was at Grow, I made sure to go the extra mile every time I got a shift. Eventually, they saw my effort and trained me to be a team leader,” said Muleyo.
Once appointed as a team leader, Muleyo started earning better, affording him better opportunities and inspiring him to continue working hard. Eventually, his hard work paid off as he was nominated to be trained as a supervisor.
“I became a supervisor with the support of the people at MES. They helped me along the way. I’m so grateful,” Muleyo said.
While working as a supervisor for MES, Muleyo also managed to capture the attention of other organisations who work in partnership with MES, such as the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District and The Greater Tygerberg Partnership, gaining other opportunities to build his newfound career.