Shower bus used to give homeless access to clean water dignity

Nina Manzi, previously called, Wash Bus, is a mobile shower where people who live on the streets use to keep clean. The initiative was started by Viva Con Agua, U-Turn and Baz-Art who saw the need to alleviate some hardships which are often faced by people who live on the streets. The wash bus, is an old bus that was turned into a showroom and connected to the City of Cape Town’s drainage and water system.

The founders of this initiative said they were looking at remedial measures to ensure those who live on streets have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services. According to the Western Cape Government’s Department of Social Development in 2019, there were 4,862 homeless people in the greater Cape Town area and an estimated 700 living in the central business district. The founders said that officials from the Cape Town Central City Improvement District acknowledge the economic hardship resulting from Covid-19 has very likely increased homelessness and that people living on the streets are at significant risk from the virus because of limited access to water and sanitation.

“The project aims to determine remedial measures to support the unsheltered homeless and ensure they have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services,” they said. They explained that the project is inspired by GoBanyo, a Hamburg based initiative driven by a non-profit company. “The GoBanyo teams are in full support of the development of a similar project in Cape Town, run by us. They are willing to share their expertise and knowledge for the duration of the project under their mission, “Access to Water”,” explained the founders.

The founders said their initiative recognises that by denying a human their basic right to water and sanitation, their marginal position within society is accentuated. “The main objective of our initiative is to restore the dignity of Cape Town’s unsheltered homeless population by providing them their basic human right to a shower and toilet facility. We have collaborated with key partners that provide psycho-social care, harm reduction and other social services to create a sustainable pathway out of homelessness for people,” said the founders.

Editor’s note: Imagine if we all cared about one another – this world would be a much better place. But stop imagining because selfless people from Viva Con Agua, U-Turn and Baz-Art are doing the actual caring.

Description: Nina Manzi, previously called, Wash Bus, is a mobile shower where people who live on the streets use to keep clean.

Editor: Anirlé de Meyer

Project manager: Anirlé de Meyer