BY Saumu Sheiza - Tanzania
On the picture: Gonzalo, Saumu and Peace
It was surpricing visiting a center for homeless people in Odense called Ågården, as I have never seen something like paid for by the state. The center takes care of people who are 18 years old and more. The municipality of Odense supports citizens in changing their behaviour and giving them training in social skills. I think it is a good way to reduce the number of people living in the street, and instead organise them by help them find a place they can call home for while.
I was surprised to see the private rooms and good kitchen. The center is running in a democratic way where those living there seems to have a lot of influence. The daily tasks are divided: cleaning, cooking and arranging trips out of the house.
I respect homeless people, because their destinies are often caused by drug abuse.
In Tanzania we do not have a place or a budget for helping the homeless. Being homeless in Tanzania is mostly a material problem: some simply cant afford a home. Many children are living on the street and be stigmatized due to malaria and AIDS. In Denmark, it seemed more complicated to me: it is all about the mind of the individual and lack of social skills - not necessarily because you cant afford a place to stay. As resources are limited in Tanzania, this would be a luxury problem.
A home like the center we have visited would be great to have in my home country. But so far, the homeless people of Tanzania are certainly not included in the state budget.