Service with a smile: Sibambisene Foundation helping kids with meals and love

A normal day on the streets of Alexandra, north of Joburg, took a turn for the good when a local foundation served children of the community lunch with a smile.

Children gathered in Far East Bank in Alexandra where the Sibambisene Foundation handed out hot dogs and Easter eggs on Friday as part of an outreach programme.

Linda Mbatha gives sanitiser to children as they queue for food in Alexandra, 2 July 2021. The food is distributed by Sibambisene, a NPO that aims to create better lives and encourage children to reach their full potential by feeding, educating and helping children in need in various ways around the Alex area. Picture: Neil McCartney

Sibambisene, which means “we are one”, was founded in 2017 by national director Linda Mbatha in Alexandra.

The foundation has since grown to four full-time members and more than 10 volunteers.

Mbatha explained the foundation’s initial focus changed during the first lockdown when the poverty became rampant.

Every weekend Mbatha and his team visit townships around Gauteng, including Alexandra, Tembisa, Orange Farm, and Johannesburg Inner City where they hand out meals, food parcels, vouchers, toiletries and pre-loved clothing.

“Children are the future. That’s why we invest in them,” Mbatha said.

Picture: Neil McCartney

One of the volunteers, Ntsoaki Matladi said she got involved with the organisation because of her love for children.

“I love giving with all my heart,” Matladi said.

As soon as the team started setting up the gazebo, children from the neighbourhood started to arrive to see what was going on and queue for a snack.

Nonhlanhla Lengoati, the foundation’s developmental psychologist, said a lot of the children need more than food.

“They need skill development,” she said.