THE recent civil unrest and looting in KwaZulu-Natal, which threatened to bring the province’s economy to a halt, has also had a negative impact on the most vulnerable.
This is evident in the township of Khabazela Village in Avoca Hills where the community soup kitchen has taken on added significance since the unrest.
Each day, from Monday to Friday, volunteers at the soup kitchen feed close to 130 men, women and children from the area out of an old shipping container.
Related story: Khabazela Village veg garden roots out food insecurity
According to community leader and soup kitchen coordinator, Dumile Magaqa, for many, this is the only meal of the day.
“Prior to the unrest we would be feeding close to 80 people but because unemployment is high and the unrest caused job losses and closures, we have many more families who are struggling. We often cook samp and beans and then we sell and give vegetables grown in our vegetable garden to those in need. We have planted cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, onions, green beans, spinach and amadumbe to name a few. That’s really helped us supplement what we do in the kitchen.
“We also wouldn’t be able to help the community without the help of SA Harvest, Mission Thando and The Seed Fund, three NPOs that help us with essentials needed for the kitchen. It is a constant struggle though because we are having to feed more and more people who are vulnerable and in need of help. We are really grateful to have this vegetable garden project up and running as it helps support our soup kitchen when we need to buy items like oil and gas,” he explained.
To support the soup kitchen, contact Dumile on 061 820 1938.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
