EMPATHIZE
Our target group is the homeless people of Limassol. The number of homeless families in Limassol is in the hundreds. A huge percentage of the people living in Limassol, do not have food, houses or clothes. They live in parks and sleep on benches. They are people from all nationalities and ages but mostly adults. For example, they are from Cyprus, Syria, and Bulgaria. Homeless people usually, search in the rubbish bins for food because is the only way to Survive. Limassol Council provides food to numerous people in need, including the homeless. As a result, of the above, our community treats them poorly. More specifically, they are making fun of them for their appearance. The homeless go through many challenges to survive in the streets. Due to being homeless, they may suffer from health issues, hunger, and poor emotional well-being.
DEFINE
Homeless people face many problems. Some of them do not eat very well or at all. Because of the economic recession, since they are not working, they cannot afford some of their basic needs, such as food. As a result, they do not eat properly and suffer from mental, psychosocial, and physical health problems. Another critical problem is the lack of personal care. Some of them use harmful substances to deal with their problems. Their clothing is poor, torn, stained, dirty and unhealthy. Homelessness creates social barriers the deeply rooted biases and the stigma around poor and homeless people create an “us” versus “them” cast of minds. As a result, it prevents these people from asking and reaching out for help from the rest of the community. It also breaks communities apart and affects the next generation. Moreover, it can threaten public safety. Homeless people not only increase the risk of disease outbreaks but also increase the incidence of alcohol abuse. They may also die without any help.
IDEATE
All the ideas
- More public toilets in areas where homeless people live
- Food from supermarkets once a week
- Cooperation with psychiatrists for care
- Medical advice is mandatory
- Supply the homeless with specific gear and equipment for different weather conditions
- On national and ethnic occasions the municipality should give them more
- Cooperation with shops that sell clothes
- Lessons or campaigns for students to raise awareness and empathise for the homeless people in our society
- Students should collect and give away clothes and toys, in good condition, that they dont need
- Cooperation with the municipality
- Homes for the poor
- Centers for helping and taking care of the poor
- Places for people to give away food and clothes to the Homeless
- The municipality should have more public bathrooms and toilets
- Organisations should raise money to fight poverty
- The municipality should try and adapt the poor in their society
The final idea
Our team decided to collect snacks, from students and teachers for the homeless. Our idea is the place big boxes outside of the three main buildings of the university (Tasos Papadopoulos, Andreas Themistokleous and Drakos). Those boxes will contain clothes and other items that are useful for the homeless. We will compose and send an email to all the students and teachers to raise awareness and collect snacks for the homeless. In the meantime, our team will be in contact with the municipality of Limassol who already provide services to the homeless, to distribute and give the clothes to them.