14,000 Homeless in Cape Town

Vouchers are designed to promote a culture of accountability – Mi-change vouchers offer access to services like a shower, a bed in a safe space, blankets, toiletries, as well as food or clothing. 

Mi-change vouchers can be redeemed at any partnering service provider in the City of Cape Town. All partnering service providers must offer access to a developmental program providing professional support and rehabilitation services to people living on the streets. 

Please go to https://michange.org for a map of voucher redemption points.

Most importantly, a Mi-change voucher is the start of a journey and a ticket to a pathway out of homelessness. Thank you for giving responsibly!

Mi-change vouchers can be redeemed at any partnering service provider in the City of Cape Town. All partnering service providers must offer access to a developmental program providing professional support and rehabilitation services to people living on the streets. 

Please go to https://michange.org/map for a map of voucher redemption points.

Mi-change vouchers are a kind and responsible way to support people who are looking for help on the streets. They are a good alternative to providing cash, which often goes towards fuelling dependency and addiction, and keeps people living on the streets for longer.

Mi-change vouchers offer access to services like a shower, a bed in a safe space, blankets, toiletries, as well as food or clothing and puts people in touch with a development program providing professional support and rehabilitation services so that they can start a journey towards employment and independence.

The funds you paid for Mi-change vouchers go directly to people who are homeless.  Many people who access services do not have a voucher.  U-turn, MES and other partnering service providers need to cover the costs of providing basic needs as well as the cost of the support and rehabilitation services not covered by the cost of the voucher.  Your voucher has not gone to waste!

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Mi-change Voucher Distribution Partner to enable your community to Give Responsibly to people in need on the streets by purchasing vouchers.

Research has shown that over R200 million is spent annually by the public in the City of Cape Town by way of a cup-of-soup-blanket approach handing out money to people living on the streets.

Mi-change vouchers are powered by U-turn and MES, in partnership with other service providers across the City, to change this mind-set and offers access to food, clothing, a bed in a safe space, a shower, blankets and toiletries at any partnering service provider.

Mi-change vouchers are a positive, kind and strategic way to help a person in need and remove street solicitation and cash from the streets.

Please contact Leila at info@michange.org / 021 674 6119 or go to https://michange.org

Vouchers are a ticket to support and rehabilitation and provides a pathway out of homelessness.  If a Mi-change voucher is sold on the street to someone who then redeems it from U-turn, MES or any other partnering service provider, we welcome whoever accesses the services provided and embrace the opportunity to interact with the person who is in need of our services (even if it is not the original recipient of the voucher).

It should be noted however, that since the launch of vouchers in 2009, we have not seen any significant problems with vouchers being resold.

Many graduates from our programme started their journey out of homelessness when a kind stranger, like you, gave them a voucher.

The person who refuses a voucher is either looking for cash, which often fuels an addiction to drugs and / or alcohol, or they are not familiar with Mi-change vouchers.

The most effective thing you can do is to continue offering the vouchers, gently, with a smile on your face.  If you have time, you can explain to the person that you want to help them and that you want them to have a future off the street. And for this reason, you cannot give them money but are giving them a Mi-change voucher that will give them access to not just food, clothing, a shower, toiletries, blankets and a bed in a safe space, but also access to professional support and rehabilitation services.

Mi-change vouchers do not have unique identifying marks or numbers and it’s not currently possible to track vouchers from purchase to redemption.

If, however, you are trying to help an individual who is homeless and you know their name, please feel free to ask if the person is accessing a partnering service provider. U-turn tracks and records every individual and every service instance is accessible via an electronic database that is updated in real-time.