Ending Homelessness in America: True Stories of Homeless People & A Practical Solution

By Blessed Unami Sikhosana

Blssed Unami Sikhosana is a powerful writer and an unswerving voice for the voiceless homeless people in our society. Blessed is an Alumnus of Syracuse University located in Syracuse New York. In 2012, she earned her first master's degree in International Relations with Maxwell School of Citizenship. Then

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blessed Unami Sikhosana
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9789692293921

Book preview

I must start by thanking my Almighty God; without His love, His calling, and providing me with wisdom and a purpose-driven life, I could not write a book of this magnitude. For that and other blessings, I praise you, my Lord. Second, I thank my late grandmother, Lizzie Novaphi Sikhosana, for raising me to be the empathetic woman I am and a voice for the voiceless.

That said, having an idea and turning it into a book is as hard as it sounds. The experience is both internally challenging and rewarding. There are plenty of people who helped bring this book to fruition, and I am grateful to all of them. From a concept in my head, to a manuscript, to a rough draft that I almost threw away, this project would not have been realized until I reached out to my ever-patient book editor, Dr. Alwin Baum. I am grateful for his ideas, comments, his professional editing and proofreading and for giving me his encouragement when I was about to give up. Dr. Alwin helped me to move from just a mere bunch of words to saying, Finally, it is a book. Thank you very much, Dr. Alwin, if not for your professional guidance, this book would not exist. I also thank my second proofreader, a Ndebele culture consultant, Peter Zwide Khumalo; I would not have had a final polished book if not for your direct comments, unwavering encouragement, and support.

I completely thank my incredible husband, Bernie. From reading my early drafts to giving me advice on the book cover to keeping my friends, relatives, my son, and grandkids out of my hair so I could edit, Bernie was as important to this book getting done as I was. Thank you so much my love and soulmate. A special thanks to my son Andy for your love and encouragement; I would not be a loving mom if not for you.

Thank you to my 3 munchkins, my grandchildren, for making me laugh so hard. You bring a sense of purpose to my writing. I also thank my siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews for the love and support they gave me while I was writing this book.

A huge thanks goes to everyone on my publishing Fiverr team who helped me so much. Special thanks to Zaafir Baig, my creative Book Formatter; Chanuka Hemachandra, my incredible digital Illustrator; and german-creative, the most excellent cover designer I could ever imagine. A special thanks also goes to my graduate school professors both at David B. Falk College and Maxwell School of Citizenship of Syracuse University. Thank you so much for believing in me, even when I did not believe in myself. To all my professional friends who endorsed my book, I also want to thank you sincerely for believing in me.

Above all, I will forever be indebted to all my homeless brothers and sisters around the world who allowed me to interview them; you are the foundation and the backbone of this book. You told your truth, and I listened. I am proud to call myself your sister from the other mother.

AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY

I was born in one of the oldest African Townships, called Mzilikazi Township, at O square #24, in Bulawayo, the second-largest city in Southern Rhodesia, which later became Rhodesia and is now called Zimbabwe. I grew up during the colonial era in Southern Rhodesia. Then, Rhodesia was a melting pot of refugees fleeing from neighboring countries, such as Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. Refugees fled to Rhodesia to find food and stable housing.

I was seven years old when the puzzle pieces of homelessness all fell into place for me personally. One day, I woke up to find a strange family of nine people, a mother of eight children and two boys with a poliovirus disability, all sleeping on the floor in my grandmother’s living room. This family of nine had been knocking at people’s houses looking for food and a place to sleep, but with no luck. They were directed to my grandmother’s house because neighbors knew my grandmother for her heart of gold and her love for homeless people. She opened her doors wide to homeless people, bathed them, fed them, clothed them, and provided them with a roof over their heads.

Grandmother dedicated her entire life to ending homelessness. Her endless love for homeless people inspired me to follow her example.

During that period, it was common for African families with children or adults with a physical ailment or impairment to rent a room from a property owner with a larger house and a communal bathroom shared between six to eight families because that was all they could afford. These were families struggling to survive economically.

As the colonizers strived to lure white tourists into Rhodesia, they launched an aggressive campaign to push homeless people off the streets of Bulawayo. The city workers tore down encampments and destroyed slum tents made from plastic or any structure not made of approved building material across the country, claiming the operation was a crackdown against illegal housing. The Rhodesian police cruised Bulawayo streets around the clock, hitting the same spots repeatedly. That is when homelessness in the African township shot through the roof, affecting thousands of men, women, and children, many with physical disabilities. That is when I realized that health care and housing are human rights and homelessness is a preventable tragedy. No one deserves to be homeless, and I felt that I could be part of that needed change. Since then, I have been an enthusiastic advocate for stable housing for homeless people around the world.

Years after my grandmother’s passing away, in 1998, I immigrated to the United States, where I earned a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Syracuse University. I did extensive reading and research to gain knowledge about homelessness, which inspired me to author books on this acute systemic crisis.

I dedicate this book to all my homeless clients that I was privileged to work with and those who agreed to sit down for an interview. I send my special gratitude to all of you for allowing me into your lives.

I thank you for those genuine hugs and especially the words of wisdom you shared with me. I want you always to remember that you are not alone. God will be with you eternally. Always look for the empathetic, caring, warm, and kind people who still exist in this world. Never feel discouraged by anything beyond your control; always reach out to community programs, transitional shelters, and other groups near you that are available to help you on your journey to ending homelessness.

I finally dedicate this book and give heartfelt thanks to my family for their patience, encouragement, and support. I relish being a devoted wife to my best friend and soul mate, Bernie; a loving mother to my only son, Andy; a delighted grandmother to my little munchkins, Khaya (6), Zola (4), and Sipho (2); a loyal friend to my extended