About us
Our History
Youth Outreach was founded in October 1997 with the aim of meeting the immediate, but also long-term needs of homeless children on the streets of Stellenbosch.
From January 1998 to April 2004, these services were offered with the help of paid staff from a multi-purpose service center called Indawo Yolutsha (Place for the Youth) which was set up on the Bergzicht Market Ground.
2002
Since October 2002, this facility has functioned as a drop-in center, mainly because the large numbers of street children made it impossible to function as an overnight shelter.
2004
From May 2004 our services were extended to offer overnight sleeping facilities with 24-hour supervision for children in Bell House, opposite the Du Toit station in Stellenbosch. Initially, Youth Outreach only had the space, known as Bell House I, from where services could only be offered to boys.
2005
Since 2005, Youth Outreach has been a place of safety and children are placed through the social network as prescribed by the Children's Act.
In the course of 2011, following the renovation of Bell House II, our services were expanded to cater to girls as well. The Drop-in Center (Drop-in) has also been in operation at Bell House since 2010 within the garage area between the two houses.
2020
2011
During 2020, the areas of the houses were expanded to meet the growing needs of Youth Outreach. In collaboration with Bell House Trust, the owner of the building, the store of the shop, as well as a section of the shop itself, has been converted for the Drop-in programs, with new ablution facilities added.
Despite the Covid pandemic, Youth Outreach took over the leadership in 2020 at GoKids in Mountainview (Jamestown) informal settlement which, similar to the Drop-in Center, provides services and programs to preschool children and school drop-outs. It's an extension that really serves the most fragile part of our community.
In May 2022, the old shop on the Bird Street side also became part of Youth Outreach and will be converted into a recreation area for the boys' home. The storage of the old shop is developed into a new kitchen and dining room, as 100 (and more) meals are served every day.
2022
