You can help: Rays of Hope feeds thousands in Alexandra

SANDTON – The initiative was initially set out to provide food and hygiene hampers to 1 000 vulnerable families in Alexandra.

May 19, 2020

Chante' Ho Hip 1 minute read

Various corporate organisations have donated large quantities of food items. Photo: Rays of Hope via Facebook

The Rays of Hope Foundation has proudly surpassed its original goal, feeding more than 30 000 families through its #Hope4Alex initiative.

The initiative was initially set out to provide food and hygiene hampers to 1 000 vulnerable families in Alexandra. The goal was later extended to 2 000, 3 000 and even 5 000, before CEO Sihle Mooi announced that the foundation has successfully to date (30 April) fed 30 054 families.

“We thought that [1 000] would be the most that we could do given the new restrictions. Little did we know that South Africans had a different plan and a big heart,” Mooi said.

The initiative was established in response to the lockdown imposed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 27 March.

Volunteers from Rays of Hope load food hampers that will be distributed. *Photo: Rays of Hope via Facebook*

“We realised that our community was paralyzed by fear because people did not have food or the medical supplies that they needed to protect themselves,” Mooi said. “While isolation is very difficult and medical facilities are limited, by providing non-perishable food, basic medicines, soap and sanitizers, we are able to reduce the need for infected people to go shopping for food, and travel to doctors, except in severe cases, while also enabling improved cleanliness and hygiene,” said the foundation’s marketing assistant Thando Duma.

Fruits and vegetables have been donated by wholesalers. *Photo: Rays Of Hope via Facebook*

She added that although the country has moved into level 4 of the lockdown, many of the community’s breadwinners and families remain vulnerable. “While some people will be able to go back to work, many vulnerable people still won’t be able to afford basic essentials, such as food,” she added.

Dozens of corporates in the private sector, schools, and communities have come on board to support the foundation.”We are so grateful to all the companies and individuals who have donated to #Hope4Alex. We believe that this is not going to end anytime soon, so we are encouraging people to continue to make donations so that we can keep on delivering,” Duma added.