Overcome Heights

Address: 117 St. Patricks Rd, Seawinds

Located behind Capricorn, Overcome Heights is an extension of the township. This community is one of the most racially and culturally diverse communities in the Southern Peninsula area of Cape Town with a mixture of black, white, colored, Asian, Indian and other African nationalities represented.The settlement was actually started in 2006 when the ANC party promised housing for all who settled on a sand dune area behind Capricorn.Within 72 hours of opening the site, over 6000 people had moved onto the property with no water or sanitation facilities. There are now water taps and public toilets, but facilities are still well below adequate. The population estimate for Overcome Heights is about 13,000, and continues to grow steadily.

Overcome Heights merges with Capricorn, and so faces the same problems and has similar statistics. HIV and AIDS affect many people, and the community also struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, gangs, prostitution, child abuse and neglect. The Living Hope prevention team has started a weekly children’s club in Overcome Heights, but does not have sufficient staff for daily activities. There has been some good success, however, with international teams holding week-long outreach programs with daily children’s clubs, and the attendance at these clubs has been as high as 250 in one day. We hope to expand our presence in Overcome as funding allows because we know the need exist and the community openly welcomes our efforts.