Uncategorized

From Shower Thoughts to Shower Acts: Nina Manzi’s Clean Crusade for Dignity in Cape Town

It’s not just a wash facility; it’s a mobile water haven designed to address Cape Town’s homeless population and dignity in the lives of Cape Town’s unsung heroes. Nina Manzi is on a mission—no, scratch that, it’s a clean crusade! They’re waving the banner of the basic human right to water and saying, “Hey world, dignity is non-negotiable!

A shower is part of our daily routine. The daily ritual of cascading water – morning or evening, or both? Whether a shower jolts you awake or serenades you to sleep, but there is no doubt that a shower has the power of washing away the worries of the day.

Now, put yourself in the shoes of those who can’t afford this luxury, desperately craving that clean and accepted feeling. Feeling grubby is one thing but imagine the discomfort of facing the world without being shower fresh. This is the reality that over 14 000 homeless people in Cape Town alone faces. 

A shower isn’t just a nice-to-have that leaves one rejuvenated. Without sufficient hygiene, a person cannot enter public facilities and gain access to free services available to those in need. A shower should therefore be viewed as a tangible step to better one’s reality.  

This is the exact motivation of Viva con Agua’s Nina Manzi initiative. Viva con Agua South Africa (VcA) diligently advocates that water is a basic human right. Through Nina Manzi, VcA provides Cape Town’s homeless population with dignity through a warm and safe shower. 

Apart from providing a warm shower to 40 homeless people daily in Cape Town, Nina Manzi often lends its services to special events which shares the initiative’s mission – providing dignity to those in desperate need. On 26 October 2023, Nina Manzi partnered with the Michell’s Plain Community Advice and Development Project. This event saw the Michell’s Plain Portland Indoor Centre transformed into a collaborative conference of various basic services offering some of Cape Town’s homeless population a space care and hope. As the shower steam cleared, there were smiles all around. The Nina Manzi clients were also treated to VcA gift bags.

Nina Manzi operates at R13 a shower. Nina Manzi will appear again at Mitchell’s Plain on 5 December 2023. If you would like to donate a shower, please reach donate here, or reach out to our Head of Business Development at p.muthali@vivaconagua.org.za. We are extremely proud to declare that 100% of your donation goes directly to the project selected. 

Nina Manzi is on a mission to spread the love, collaborating with partners and planning to sprinkle a little more happiness to many more deserving souls. Water, dignity, and a joyful fresh start—that’s the Nina Manzi way!

Leave A Comment

Your Comment
All comments are held for moderation.