HACT’s Ubuntu Ground Café rises to the challenge
For just R12 added to your bill, you can provide a family in need with a freshly-made loaf of bread.
THE Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust’s (HACT’s) Ubuntu Ground Café team has been baking up a storm to provide families with fresh bread through its Loaves of Love initiative.
Inspired by HACT’s wider emergency relief efforts, which have seen the local organisation mobilise more than 15 tons of food for their vulnerable beneficiaries in the wake of the recent riots and civil unrest, the Café’s team decided the best way they could help was to put their baking skills to good use.
HACT’s CEO, Candace Davidson, said, “While our Ubuntu Ground Café is once again open for business as usual, our team really wanted to get involved and play their part in helping those impacted by the local food shortages, so they decided to do what they do best and get baking!”
The 25-year-old Lindo Zuma, who is currently completing a 12-month work experience placement at the Café as part of it’s youth skills development and training programme, said it’s been hard work, but also rewarding to know they are making a positive difference.
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“On Thursday last week alone we baked and handed out 40 loaves of bread to HACT’s Clothing Scheme beneficiaries. One of the gogos was so happy she could not stop thanking us for helping her to feed her four grandchildren. That really meant a lot to me,” said Zuma.
The projects started 18 months’ ago and HACT’s Ubuntu Ground Café is a coffee shop with a difference. Set-up as a social enterprise, the café offers customers and visitors a wide menu of freshly prepared food, it’s training programme is helping to tackle unemployment one cappuccino at a time by equipping local, out-of-school youth with marketable skills and work experience.
Despite the multiple challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing lockdown restrictions, HACT remains determined to see the Cafe succeed.
“We knew that opening a coffee shop in the current economic climate would be a challenge, and then we’ve had to add Covid-19 and lockdown on top of that. Thanks to the incredible support of our donors, partners and our customers, we’ve not only managed to keep our Cafe’s doors open, but live up to HACT’s mission of providing unconditional love and hope at a time when this is needed most in our community,” said Davidson.
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