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The House is Hillbrow's HopePretoria News 2 April 1992 -- Hillbrow, scourge of the righteous and succour of the
renegade, is both slum and paradise, reports Jane Smith. From Bishopscourt to Bloemfonein, Hillbrow is a
word whispered like a profanity in sophisticated circles and sung like a
hymn by its groupies.
Of the thousands of teenagers who visit clubs, abuse alcohol, buy
drugs and prostitute themselves every day in Hillbrow, many have
experienced unstable home lives with ineffective welfare intervention and
a lack of moral control from their parents.
But there are also dozens who have escaped the high-walled security
of suburban whitewash were they received less affection in their
parents’ emotional absence than that elicited on street-level Hillbrow.
Many runaways make a career decision at the tender age of 13 or 14,
just as their bodies blossom into adolescence, to join the hundreds of
teenage sex-workers of the area.
Most are drawn into a lethal X-rated world of low-life pimps and
drug-dealers, where on hit after the other of Wellconal or Mandrax is the
only way to survive repeated bouts of sex with strangers.
Perhaps the only Last Outpost is The House at 52 Soper Road, Berea.
This once-gracious, seven-roomed dwelling has gained street-credit
as a haven for those weary of the beat.
Should they need it, the adolescent sex workers of Hillbrow can
seek solace in the company of Jean and Adele du Plessis, a young couple
formerly from Pretoria who gave up lucrative self-owned businesses to run
The House, a private, non-profit organisation, solely reliant on
donations.
One of the stated missions of The House is to create rehabilitation
resources for teenage prostitutes.
The most recent SAP figures reflect a disturbing increase in the
number of runaways. In 1989,
708 were reported; in 1990,
this figure rose to 2 243. Last
year 2 376 children were reported missing, of these more than 400 were
from the PWV area.
It is difficult to pinpoint blame, although Jean and Adele believe
the State shares the moral responsibility for ending the exploitation of
runaways.
That young sex-workers eschew the support systems available to them
reflect their lack of faith in “normal” role models.
Many “steamers” (sex-buyers) are the so-called “pillars of
society”, including dominees, policemen, top businessmen and teachers.
No significant help has been reported from drug rehabilitation
agencies either, often forcing Jean and Adele to deal with near-death
situations at The House.
In their experience, addicts suffering from a drug overdose are
discharge from hospital as soon as they are out of danger - without
long-term readjustment opportunities.
Jean and Adele share a profound, long-term hope of turning The
House into a retrieval and walk-in detox and rehabilitation centre staffed
by trained volunteers and full-timers.
Their ultimate dream is a “kibbutz” outside Johannesburg and
other major cities which can operate as a viable therapeutic community.
Jean and Adele see various issues in co-operation in the
exploitation of minors. “It
is that blend of excitement, drugs, alcohol and sex that is so
tempting,” says Jean. “It
seems to meet the emotional needs of runaways, offering the acceptance
they have been searching for.”
This makes it exceptionally difficult for them to simply walk away
and go home to the suburbs. All
they may have is The House. The House is manned 24-hours a day, offering coffee, hot home-cooked meals, drug rehabilitation and counselling. For More Information Contact: |
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