BrightRock Battle of the Sports Challenge joined non-profit organisation Right to Care and handed over food packages to the elderly at the Thembelami Care Centre in Alexandra on 30 September.
Esme van der Walt, manager at Thembalami, said the gogos ( elderly people) visited the centre for breakfast and lunch three times a week as part of an outreach programme, Zamokuhle.
“The outreach service was started in April 2009 by deputy manager Elize Raath, who played an integral part in this service,” said Van Der Walt. “Most of the gogos are widows looking after their grandchildren as many of the parents of the kids in the community are either deceased or unemployed and unable to care for their children.”
According to Van der Walt, since lockdown, they have not been able to come and participate in the activities at the centre. Many of them are also diabetic and relied on breakfast meals so they can take their medication. “Although food parcels were given at the beginning of lockdown, this was definitely not enough to sustain them. The food parcels we were able to give them were very basic. Nothing compared to what they are receiving now so it really is desperately needed.”
Van der Walt extended her gratitude to BrightRock, Right to Care and Events To Aid, who organised the event. “Older people are vulnerable and often you find that the focus is on children when it’s these gogos who look after the children and grandchildren that need the focus,” she said.
Precious Robinson of Right to Care said they were proud to be part of this sporting initiative which was striving to raise much-needed funds to affect positive change. “At Right to Care, we have been very involved in providing support to old age homes and older people in a number of areas around the country who were mostly forgotten when the pandemic struck in March.”
Right to Care started in Mpumalanga, before moving to the Free State and Eastern Cape. “We heard the plight of many residents in Alexandra and have now partnered with Thembalami and Itlhokomeleng to support these struggling communities and provide dignified quality care to the elderly,” concluded Robinson.
Details Visit https://www.battleofthesports.co.za/to participate and donate.
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