Bloemfontein Red Cross Keeps Homeless Warm Each Winter

When temperatures drop near freezing in Bloemfontein, organizations like the South African Red Cross Society show up with blankets for people living on the streets. Year after year, they return with warmth and zero judgment.

Jack Kgodumo, 39, has lived on Bloemfontein's streets for over 20 years. He knows winter's brutal grip intimately: hands that stop working, feet that burn then go numb, nights spent bracing instead of sleeping.

Last year, the Red Cross gave him a blanket. He sold it for food and survival needs.

"I know I need a blanket, but if I continue to stay on the streets, I'd sell it again because I need to eat and survive," Kgodumo tells Health-e News. His honesty reveals the impossible choices facing people experiencing homelessness.

The Red Cross knows this reality. Branch manager Neo Ndakana says they'll continue their winter drives regardless.

"We give help where it is due, and we don't monitor what they do afterwards because they are homeless," Ndakana explains. She refuses to paint everyone with the same brush, noting that some people keep their blankets but lose them to crime.

This understanding approach matters more than ever. South Africa's homeless population jumped from nearly 40,000 in 2011 to over 55,000 in 2022, with Bloemfontein's metro area accounting for 3.3% of that total.

Jacky Ramanamane, who grew up on the streets, stays hopeful she'll receive blankets this winter at Central Park train station. Student donations of clothing already help her survive.

Jabulani Jikila, 27, recently weathered heavy rains without adequate shelter. "We don't have enough old tyres to burn throughout the night to keep warm," he says, grateful to have survived and hopeful for this year's blanket distribution.

Sunny's Take

The Red Cross Society's continued commitment shines brightest not despite knowing some blankets get resold, but because they understand survival isn't simple. Rather than abandoning people facing impossible choices, they choose compassion over judgment. They recognize that staying warm for even one night matters, that dignity doesn't require perfection, and that showing up year after year sends a message louder than any blanket: you are seen, you are valued, you are not forgotten.

Free State health officials are preparing cold weather assistance programs and urging communities to help each other survive the freezing temperatures ahead.