BAEH reports successful outreach to homeless in 2022

The Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) is reporting success in its efforts to deliver a number of key services to members of the homeless community here in Barbados during the year 2022, despite a number of challenges faced by the charitable organization, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President of the BAEH, Kemar Saffrey remarked, “In the year under review, we would love to highlight the fact that we were able to successfully start back our rehabilitative /reintegration programmes, since we were on pause due to COVID.

“With a number of the restrictions lifted, we were able to successful start looking at the rehabilitation of the homeless again and placing them back into mainstream society through rehabilitative programmmes focusing on counselling, mentorship, developing coping skills and we also worked with them by providing vocational and skill-based training programmes as well as family programmes, to rehabilitate and reintegrate them. So, I think that in terms of our successes, we can really look and say that we are really moving towards transforming the lives of the homeless community once again and seeing such persons placed .back into mainstream society,” Saffrey maintained.

New clients have been continuously seeking out the services of the BAEH even as the country seeks to recover from the pandemic and as an increasing number of individuals take to the streets for varying reasons, including issues related to poverty, drugs use and abuse, familial and financial crises, domestic violence, deportation, migration and mental illness, amongst others.

Statistics gathered by the BAEH meanwhile indicate that at its Homeless Shelter in Spry Street, Bridgetown, St Michael, in terms of the bed count, the beds have been used over 50,000 times for the year 2022 and in terms of feeding those in the homeless community and those affected by poverty, the BAEH has conducted over 9000 feedings thus far.

In terms of the demographics, homeless males far outweigh females, but the organization has still had to assist a number of women with young children and even babies, during the year.

For the year 2022, the organization has seen 191 new persons being affected by homelessness, 42 of which are females and 62 children. Data gathered indicates that the majority of the homeless clients who sought and received assistance in 2022 were drawn from preferred sleeping sites such as Independence Square, Heroes Square and Jubilee Gardens, as well as from Queen’s Park, the Bay Street Esplanade and a number of local beaches.

Data shows that whilst the overwhelming majority of homeless persons are Barbadian, there are individuals from neighbouring islands who have benefited from the BAEH’s services, including persons from Guyana, USA, Germany, St. Lucia, Trinidad and St. Vincent, who have also been affected by homelessness.

The BAEH has also had to assist a number of deportees as well as visitors to the island who have overstayed their welcome or who were affected by COVID-19. Information gathered shows that a number of BAEH clients are battling physical as well as mental health challenges, as some male and female clients have non-communicable diseases and other health challenges and some clients have also been treated at the Psychiatric Hospital here in Barbados.

The BAEH has nonetheless been working steadily to ensure that all of its homeless clients get the best care needed to treat to their concerns.

A BAEH Clients’ Needs Assessments meanwhile shows that whilst the majority of homeless clientele desire food and clothing, there is a need for housing and shelter, family counselling, adult educational classes and personal development courses, job training and money management as well as health care services for those seeking to rehabilitate and reintegrate and the BAEH has been working where possible to address these needs, via its varied programmes and services.

As the year 2022 comes to a close and the BAEH sets its sights on the coming New Year, the BAEH hopes that in 2023 it can expand on its programmes and service delivery, to ensure that it continues on with its vision, “to create a caring and stimulating environment, where homeless persons are given optimal opportunities, to transition back to self-sufficiency”. (PR)