Members of the Al-Imdaad foundation launched their annual Winter Warmth programme in Ermelo last Wednesday by providing the elderly with warm blankets and walking sticks at the Thutukani Hall in Wesselton.
The event was attended by the executive mayor of Msukaligwa, Mr JS Bongwe, the speaker Ms Precious Nkosi, various ward councillors and dignitaries.
In his address to the audience, Abed Carrim , project coordinator of the Al-Imdaad Foundation, said communities should take care of the elderly because they are, after all, the foundation of society.
The members also visited various schools in Wesselton where needy learners received beanies and woollen gloves.
The Al-Imdaad Foundation believes winter in South Africa is one of the most difficult times of year for those living at the bottom rungs of society.
Whether they are rural dwellers or inhabitants of shanty towns and informal settlements, when the cold weather sets in, it highlights their flimsy walls and thin clothes and aggravates the medical conditions many suffer from.
The foundation’s annual Operation Winter Warmth blanket drive addresses this with timely interventions for the most vulnerable.
They distribute blankets, winter hats and other accessories to needy learners, the elderly and members of impoverished communities by helping them to wrap up tight against the winter’s chill.
