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No one has yet asked me this question, but its bound to come up.
Some of the people we see in town on outreach and a few I have photographed over the last few days are no longer homeless, some of them are vulnerably housed in supported housing.
So why if they are housed do we still feed them ?
One simple answer : Addiction.
Just because they are housed now doesn't mean they are suddenly on the straight and narrow. They can still be addicts. As some of them get a small amount of benefit, some people will wonder if they get benefit why cant they cook for themselves, buy them selves food rather than the heroin, the alcohol, and what ever may be there drug of choice ?
Once you have been homeless, especially for a long time, your in the mindset of being homeless even after being housed. Many don't even sleep in their beds in their houses for a long time, they prefer the hard cold floor because that's what has become normal to them rather than a warm comfortable bed. Its hard for us, having never been homeless, to understand that feeling of re creating their homeless habits in their houses.
When your an addict, your main priority is to get your drugs, not go to asda and buy some food to cook. A lot of people vulnerably housed still hang around on the streets a lot, begging, even sleeping rough, because it has become a way of life for them, and some go back out onto the streets every now and then to see their friends and look out for them.
Take P, for example, he is housed, but he still goes and sleeps out on the streets with all his belongings because after being homeless for over 10 years, that's what he is used to. Also, T. He was given a place in shared accommodation but he felt trapped. He had been on the streets for so long, being inside a house, having a bed, having a kitchen to cook in and a room to clean was so alien for him he gave up his place in the house and returned to sleeping rough on the streets.
So, back to the point in this blog post. We still feed those in houses because otherwise they simply wouldn't get fed, if they weren't seen by us or if they didn't go to the soup kitchens. Some have debts to pay off, so while receiving their benefits, they are now paying off their debts. Some find it too stressful and difficult to have structure in their life, going to the supermarket, cooking a meal an cleaning up. Sitting down at a table is still alien to them. A quarter of the people who go to soup kitchens are housed. Some have severe mental health issues, some have anxieties.
When we feed someone on the street we don't care if they are homeless or housed, if they are hungry , we will feed them. Although, sometimes when we see the people who are housed, they turn down food, saying give it to someone who is still on the streets and who is in need more than I am.
Anastasia x x x
It was a few days before my birthday and I was desperate to reach Luange Pubang. Why ?
1. Cos it was gonna be my birthday
2. cos it was a really cool arty town
3. Cos I was promised you could get really good french food and wine and I wanted some so bad !
We begin our boat journey down the Nam Tha River, a Mekong tributary, through a remote, forested and sparsely populated corner of Laos. We were all crammed onto small, narrow, deep river baots with no room to move and no where to pee. We were sardines packed in a tin... and it was freezing. We were going to be homestaying with our boat drivers in their fascinating villages, I was looking forward to that. After 10 long hours crammed into this thing they called a boat, dehydrated cos I was too scared to drink as I had no where to pee, we reached a small villiage on the side of the river bank. I was weak and tired. I tried to climb out the boat but just faceplanted the muddy bank before attempting to walk up the steep hill in flip flops and sliding back down again. All the kids laughed before helping me. I had made friends.
We trapsed through mud for a few minutes before being greated by our boat mans wife and sisters, all smoking heroin. They were as high as a kite and this was our new home for 2 days. Yipee.
We were lead into a wooden shack, downstairs was empty, or there wasnt even a downstairs. It was a house on stilts, everything was upstairs, downstairs was just an empty area beneath the house. Upstairs was pretty empty too, there was a lovely warm open fire burning away though which was really apreciated as we were all freezing. Soon enough all the villiage women and children bundled into the small house and wanted to touch us, look at our clothes, hold our hands and chat with us. We didnt understand a word they were saying but they were so happy to have these strange westerners in their village they wanted to be near us. The nearest shop was 3 days away. They were tribe people, they didnt really mix with the outside world. They smoked heroin all day long and bathed in the river, they ate vegetables they grew and killed their chickens and cows for dinner. So us being there in their villiage was magical for them, it was as facinating and eye opening to us as it was to them.
We were served dinner in a big pot. No plates or cutlery, of course. Im still unsure what dinner was. I cant say it was nice. I can honestly say I starved those few days and I was so happy when a young villiage boy came round selling us knock off cola later in the evening I almost asked him to marry me. We all sat around this big pot and ate some food, it was warm, we used bread as our cutlery. No one liked it. We were polite.
After dinner it was shower time. No, there were no showers. Our new shower was the river so off we walked through the villiage with our bars of soap and headed down to the river and had a wash as the sun set. Do you remember me telling you how cold it was ? Yeah that was the only wash I had for a few days, bugger that.
That evening we played with the children inside our house. We played ring of roses and pat a cake and taught them to sing traditional english songs. It was such a fun night. The children all wanted their photos taken and were facinated by our cameras. Th children and their parents helped us set up our beds for the night. We were staying in one house that housed 4 families then there were 8 of us strange white people, so it was one busy house. We had no luxuries of pillows or mattresses. We laid down thin yoga mats on the bamboo floor, put on our long johns and wolly hats, thermal socks and warm fleeces then wrapped our selfs up in fluffy blankets and that was our bed for the next two nights. It was surprisingly comfortable and I actually slept really well.
The next day we spent wandering the villiage and taking in villiage life. Everyone wanted us to go in their houses, they even offered us a smoke of heroin from their crack pipes. I found the young lad selling crap coca cola again and bought a few cans.
On the third day we travel a few more hours down the Mekong in our little boat things, back to being squashed in before we transfer boats to travel further down the Mekong River, with plenty of space to lay back and enjoy the riverscapes – jungle hills, people fishing, kids playing on the riverbanks. After 7 hours on a larger boat with space to relax, a toilet, a real toilet, We we reach the small village of Pak Beng. We have another steep hill to walk up, this one a concrete hill. It must be something to do with me back packs and hills but again I totally failed and had to get luke to carry my stuff as well as his. We stayed in a tiny little guest house. A very strange guest house. The man who checked us in was high on heroin and was very weird. After checking us all in he approached luke and I on the balcony.We were enjoying a cold much needed beer. The strange man asked us if we would leave him a review on trip advisor he would give us a bag of heroin for free !
That evening we were free to explore the tiny, un touristic villiage. This villiage very rarely has tourists, which was a nice thing. Nothing was written in english, which was fab ! That night a few of us found a small restaurant that served local food which was delicious, one of our best meals on the trip, and it was so cheap.
Our last day on the river takes us past the Pak Ou Caves, believed the most spiritually significant site in Laos and containing hundreds of Buddha images, before continuing to Luang Prabang.
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Its 5am, time to blog ! The other day I posted a few questions on Facebook to try and get peoples opinions about homeless people :
'Evening all
I want to blog about people's views, opinions, feeling and thoughts on homeless people.
Do you all just think there drugged up criminals and that they chose this life ? Or do you look further and think why?
Do you just walk on by and ignore them or do you smile , say hi and ask how their days going?
Has street light changed your opinion on the homeless?
Come on be honest, let's hear what you think of the homeless people, of addiction etc and what you think when you see them in town'
I received some interesting comments, so as promised, I said I would blog about your answers and about the truth. I wanted to know if setting up streetlight had changed anyone views on the homeless, and I was pleased to find out it has changed views of a few people. Many people have written on other posts and said to me face to face that I have changed their opinions and opened up their eyes to the truth, which im really pleased about. I didn't only set up street light to help the homeless, I set it up to help the public understand the homeless in order for YOU to be able to help the homeless.
I wanted to know if you all thought the homeless were 'wasters, junkies, drug addicts, criminals' as that's what a lot of people perceive the homeless to be. One lady very honestly said before she had liked my page she thought homeless people were dirty drunk druggies but I have completely changed that opinion, she has completely opened her eyes, listened to my updates and stories, and managed to see that each person has a story that's worth listening to.
A big percentage of homeless people are addicts, yes that is true. But could you stay completely clean and innocent living day in day out on the street, being ignored or abused by the public, having no home, not knowing where your next meal was come from or where you could dry your wet clothes ? I know I couldn't and im pretty sure if we all took the time to think about it, we wouldn't be able to live the perfect clean lifestyle for long and we would soon turn to something to numb the pain. A lot of homeless people's addiction has started before they became homeless though. Every homeless person has a story to tell, I will tell anyone to make a homeless person a sandwich and sit down with them have a chat, get to know them, befriend them, and sure enough over time you will find out their story and why they have ended up in this life.
A lot of homeless people have had horrific childhoods and have started using drugs / drinking alcohol from a very young age, some even as young as 11.
When I started my drugs and alcohol training course last year I started going to Narcotics Anonymous each week to learn more about addiction, recovery, triggers and peoples shares. Now that was what opened my eyes up. I had ready many books about childhood abuse, sex trafficking, murders, addiction and what not but until I had decided to go into this career I never thought I would hear someone say it to my face. At my first narcotics meeting I was a bit insecure about being there, I was there with a friend who was 2 years in recovery. Im sure everyone knew I was not an addict and I was not in recovery as they saw me as the newbie and all practically jumped on me asking me how many days I was on. It took a while for me to click what they were talking about ! Anyway, back to the point.
At my first meeting the main share was a girl the same age as me. She talked about how she was bullied terribly at school and had started smoking cannabis at 13, to try and take away the pain. I can totally relate as I was bullied terribly at school so I can relate with her trying to take away the pain, I was very innocent and didn't know what cannabis was at that age. The girl went on to talk about how she was so desperate to be liked she started to hang around with the wrong crowd, which soon led to snorting coke, which led to smoking crack cocaine. For so long men would give it to her for free, until one day they said she had to pay it back. The only was to pay it back was sex. From that day onward, at the age of 14, she became a sex worker. Up until she was 21 years old that was the life she knew. The crack cocaine use soon turned into injecting heroin which forced her to work even more. The girl eventually became homeless and ended up on the streets of London, crashing in squats or sleeping in door ways. Until she met a man who became her pimp. They moved to Bournemouth, living in a nice area, canford cliffs, and how her pimp would book her out on the internet from their home with the perfect sea view. Sounds like Im telling a made up story doesn't it ?Yes, pimps exist. Yes, they exist in Bournemouth, big time. On went her life, injecting heroin, stealing, committing crime, anything to fund the habit rather than being a 'working girl'. Eventually she broke free from her pimp, but at a serious price. He, and friends, beat her almost to death. In a way it was her lucky break. She ended up in hospital for a while, which started to get her clean then she went onto rehab. At the time of her talk she was 2 years clean and was training to become a nurse, so she had turned her life around. Thats just one example of why just one person became homeless, why one person became a working girl, a heroin addict, a criminal. Does it make you stop and think, does it make you smile at the next homeless person you see and give them a bit of time ? I hope it does.
Many of the men on the street are on the street due to marriage breakdowns. Often the women get the house as they have the children, or because the children are still in education, the women are entitled to a lot more. I have heard so many stories from guys on the street so similar to that, they all tell me not to get married !
Some women have been abused from young children and turned to drugs at a young age, 12, 13,14 and then to prostitution, because quite frankly, its all they have ever known. Its so hard to get a working girl to understand she is worth so much more than a man just using her for sex, but sometimes, they are so brainwashed with that way of thinking, its hard to change their minds and make them see they are so much better.
Mental health issues have a big part in becoming homeless. I don't know how many people with mental health issues may follow this blog or the page, but take it from someone who knows, its hard living life with a mental illness. Something that seems so easy to a healthy person, for example, paying the rent each month and on time, can be so hard for someone who is ill, and this results in a lot of people loosing their homes.
The youngest person I met on the streets was 16. He was local, from the new forest. He had fled home due to extreme violence at home and he feared he would be killed. He didn't come to the streets with any kind of addiction but soon found himself addicted to legal highs that you can buy in many local shops. He would beg for money to buy the legal highs then use the legal high to take away the fear and pain of being on the streets. Thankfully he is now in a young persons hostel as he is extremely vulnerable and still a kid really.
Since I have started street light I have met people on the streets from all walks of life. I have met people who have had wonderful childhoods, just their life has become bad later on in life, I have met people who have had the most horendous childhoods, I have met people who have had high flying jobs, big houses, sports cars the lot and lost it all due to mental health. I have even met a boy who lived a few door down from me for years and has now become homeless and slowly turned to heroin. What Im trying to say is ANYONE, can be come homeless, You, me, your family members or the guy that serves you every day in sainsburys. Homeless people are normal people, there just like you and I , just with a few more difficulties in life.
One couple I see often and keep in touch with daily are on the streets due to bankruptcy. Its as simple as that, you loose your home and your out on the streets. Another couple I met tonight are also on the streets due to re possession of their home. I asked both couples why they are not being helped and their simple answer is 'we are not vulnerable ENOUGH' Surely anyone who is living on the streets is vulnerable ? everyone is at risk of dying due to the cold, malnutrition or even being killed by a member of the public.
Next time you see a homeless person, where ever you may be. Smile. Say hello. Buy them a coffee and ask if they want a chat. Buy them a sandwich, or even better, make a loaf of sandwiches and give them to a few homeless people. They wont bite you. They wont stab you. They wont rob you. They are begging in order to survive, they are begging in order to feed their habit. The girls you see on the street late at night and judge them for being prostitutes, trust me, they dont want that life. Smile, wave, make them feel like they should get up in the morning. Be nice, you never know, it could be you, or it could be me.
I am sharing with you a few video links from YouTube about people in Bournemouth that are homeless. All of these people I know. I chat with them on a regular basis and feed them often.
After a few days exploring bangkok we head north to Sukothai. Sounds funny doesnt it, like suck a thai. We took an early morning train for 4 hours. The train was rather basic and very rickety, it really felt like it was going to fall apart with every bump it hit, but despite that the long journey was fun.
We had been lucky so far in Thailand and had been using western toilets and had been quite spoilt with a good choice of food. The food we were served on the train was dry rice with a bit of dry shredded meat, I have no idea which meat, there were the odd peas chucked in there too. Thankfully I had filled my back pack with biscuits so I didnt have to eat it. The toilet on the train was just a hole cut out of the floor. The door didnt shut. It swang open. We had to go to the toilet in twos, one holding the door shut while the other tried to balance above this hole, concentrate on peeing through the whole rather than all over your shoes all the while not falling over cos of the bumpy ride.
The views were beautiful. We had been in the city for days so were surrounded by people and lots of buildings, beautiful, but it was great to see the country side. Rolling green fields, farmer walking their animals, and children riding their make shift bicicles through the narrow lanes of the fields. The train was very slow, I think really the jorney was only meant to be an hour, but cos the train was so old it took so long.
Once we arrived in sukothai we had two big cars waiting to take us to our accommodation. Once we arrived at our hotel we all thought we had died and gone to heaven. We were staying in such a beautiful place. We were paid up in twos and each given a very large, beautiful, bungalow. The bungalows were spread out across a fair sized garden. All of the bungalows had two king size beds in and big bath tubs in the outside bathroom. Now, outside bathroom sounds weird, but it was actually lovely. Imagine a nice big bath tub, outside, hidden by bamboo walls, surrounded by flowers and monkeys. Actually pretty sweet. All around the bungalows were small ponds filled with lilly pads and pretty pink flowers. There was one big pond that had a small jetty going into the middle of the pond.
Sukothai was a small historical town. It had an outside swimming pool just a few minutes from our hotel so as we had a free afternoon we all headed off to the swimming pool. Sukothai isnt a very touristic town, many tourists dont even know it exists, so imagine all the childrens faces when a bunch of white kids turn up at their swimming pool. They all loved us and wanted us to play in the pool and on the water slides with them.
I, being the class clown, decided to go down the slide head first and I head butted a small child as I entered the pool. Not my fault, honest.
In the evening we went to Hillary's favorite restaurant. The food was wonderful. the special dish up north is spinach and garlic, with a bit of spice, I had that with rice and some chicken, it was bloody lovely, and I was instantly hooked. From then on every restaurant we went to I would order that. We spent time over dinner chatting about the next few days plans then went on to a small bar next door that had a great live band on.
The next day we headed out to Sukothai's historical town, about 10 minutes away by tuk tuk. Upon arrival we all rented bikes with baskets and cool horns. Very much like my bike I have at home. We were given the day to split up and go and explore. Sukothai was massive, it took a good 6 hours to cycle around and enjoy all the sites. Sukhothai,is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Site, famous for its ancient temples. 1000 years ago, Sukhothai was the capital of Thailand. Today it is a tranquil riverside town. We explore the complex of temple ruins by bicycle all day, climbing the temples and stopping for lunch along the way. There were plenty of food stalls set up around the site.
It was a great day and sukothai was one of my favourite temples. We returned to the hotel that night and had a chilled evening in our bungalows, aching a bit from all the bike riding !
