Workers and volunteers of STINT (Supporting Those In Need Together) are currently in KwaZulu-Natal assisting families and communities affected by the lootings. The NPO based in Weltevreden Park responded to the call to assist residents in those communities.
Co-founder, Adeline Singh said they are currently helping more than 150 families as well as the elderly and sick people who cannot leave their homes. “We are delivering parcels in Chatsworth, but we have been to other areas in Durban. We are so blessed that we were able to get sponsors and be afforded the opportunity to support so many families in need. When we saw the extent of the damage to homes, jobs and infrastructure, we couldn’t sit back. We were more concerned by the aftermath of the unrest and those that had lost their jobs. We also started to think about what people would eat because a lot of the STINT members are from KZN, and they know full well that a lot of people there rely on a weekly wage. If they are not able to get their weekly wages then they can’t get food.”
The organisation swiftly began putting together sponsorships, including assistance with transportation. They raised R20 000, and R30 000 from Ebony and Ivory buses and trucks, which also assisted with an additional refrigerated truck, fully fuelled and with a driver. Adeline said they collaborated with community leaders to find out which homes would not have food for weeks on end, and set out to package everything for distribution.
The team left Johannesburg on July 20 and hit the ground running by proving essential meals to the poorest people in different communities. “We distributed door to door because the elderly cannot stand in lines. Shelves are empty in many stores. When we got here we found that people were waiting until late into the night just for food. We want for fellow human beings to keep giving of themselves to their neighbours.”
South Africa has many problems, without a doubt, but one thing that cannot be extinguished is our spirit to give and help even when we need assistance ourselves. Organisations and companies have poured out support and donations to communities in the wake of the lootings. Adeline encouraged residents to, “Reach deep down so that we are able to be in service without asking ‘what’s in it for me’”.
Contact STINT at stint.team2021@gmail.com
