Local institute aids December flood victims
Some of the families were from the Walter Sisulu Square informal settlements in Kliptown who were hard hit by the severe floods in December 2022.
A group of beneficiaries beat the freezing Autumn morning to get to the Etech Varsity centre based in Mofolo South, on Thursday, where they waited to receive much needed food parcels.
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The initiative courtesy of the Edutrain (Education and training community institute) NPO, a subdivision of Etech Varsity was sponsored by the Johannesburg food bank and Buyisa Ubuntu as it seeks to aid vulnerable communities with basic essentials.
The 25 beneficiaries on the day were a fraction of the 100 identified shack dwellers from Kliptown, Freedom Park, Nancefield Hostel, and Mofolo South.
“Today marks the first food distribution initiative for our organisation. We already provide free meals to our students every day at our premises but we wanted to expand our work into the vulnerable parts of our community,” said Etech Varsity Director, Bishop Selowa.
Some of the families were from the Walter Sisulu Square informal settlements in Kliptown who were hard hit by the severe floods in December 2022.
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Some of the residents said this was the most food that they have received in recent months. The informal settlement is marred by high unemployment and poverty, with many households relying on social grants and odd jobs for income.
Lindeka Nqeketo, a block leader and resident of Kliptown said, “It has been difficult since the floods last year. We have had to rebuild as we had nothing.
“I am a parent to my siblings, there is no one working. The little money we get from grants we have to share it back home in the Eastern Cape. But at least for this month, I won’t use it on me but will send it home so they can have something to eat too.”
Another dweller, Joseph Mokhatjana, who relies on odd jobs, stood in the line for his ailing wife, Florence Mokhatjana, who battles sugar diabetic and poor eyesight expressed gratitude.
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“I have no words, getting the food parcels means that we won’t have to worry about where we will get food because this will last us for a while. As the sole breadwinner, we depend on government social grant, which is not enough,” he said.
The NPO does skills and development programmes in the township, has other social programmes for vulnerable members of the community as well as offering free computer skills training.
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