Bluff organisation warms tummies and hearts

WHEN pensioner and struggle veteran, Liziwe Mkhulisi, saw the rising number of people struggling to put food on their tables in her own community, she knew that she could not sit back and do nothing.

Mkhulisi, 64, who resides on The Bluff, said together with her neighbours, decided to do their bit and started a feeding initiative in an attempt to alleviate hunger in 2018.

In 2021, she officially registered her non-profit company (NPC), Warming The Hearts Through Feeding, which she currently runs from her home.
Mkhulisi is the co-founder of the NPC and chairperson of its board of directors.

“It was devastating to see the number of people that were hungry. My neighbour, who resides opposite my home, and I would always have people walking by, stop and not only ask for water, but also something small for them to eat. This really got me thinking about how people were suffering right at our doorsteps,” she said.

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Mkhulisi, who is a member of the Active Citizens Movement (ACM), said the feeding initiative kicked off with food items from her home and her neighbour, as well as a 10kg rice donation from another neighbour.

“We grabbed whatever we had, such as oil, spices, and potatoes. We did not have any meat, but the focus was on nutrition. At the time, we already had our community garden going, which gave us some wholesome vegetables, such as cabbage, spinach, radish, beetroot, and a variety of herbs. We try to prepare the most nutritious meals. I also get food items donated from the ACM, as well as family and friends, who saw what we were doing for the community,” she said.

Mkhulisi said she would initially drive around the area giving the meals to people in need once a week.

“But, then my mini-bus started to give me problems and I could not maintain the constant costs of repairs and fuel. I knew I needed to stop, but I just could not. I could not turn a blind eye to the people around me that were suffering. One of my goals has always been to help eradicate hunger. So, I started feeding people from my home,” she said.

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Mkhulisi said she now feeds four times a week.

“On Mondays and Wednesdays, myself and other volunteers start preparing a hot meal from early in the morning, which is usually fried rice, vegetable soup and bread, and on some days, a vegetable breyani. On Tuesdays and Fridays, we usually make sandwiches such as peanut butter and jam, egg and mayonnaise, cheese or polony.

“We also receive sell-by-date items from some of the retail stores, which we give to those that come out. However, our menu depends on what donations we receive. We are also very much reliant on these donations,” she said.

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Mkhulisi, said her hopes for the future is to run the feeding from a central place.

“We currently don’t have a community centre or hall in the area, however, there are many municipal-owned properties, which we are now trying to obtain. I used to reach between 260 to 280 people a day, but that number had decreased by more than half, as it is difficult for people that live far from my home to walk the distance.

“Being able to do this gives me great joy, and for as long as I am able to I will continue to do my best to help in the fight against hunger. I feel it is a mission I was called upon to do,” she said.

If you would like to make a donation, contact Mkhulisi on 061 314 9772.

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