Youth organisation feeds the community

Tsakani – Kwatsaduza youth under the initiative Izandla Ziyagezane hosted a Nelson Mandela Day charity drive last Saturday at Extension 10 Ground.

Children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds were given soup, bread and clothes.

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The idea is the brainchild of Nonkululeko Kgabo, Tumelo Mdhluli and Bongiwe Naidoo and came about after a successful fund-raiser they organised for a two-year-old being raised by a single father.

“It’s no secret that the pandemic has cost millions of people their jobs, which means families are left without breadwinners.

“These are challenging times for our people.

“We saw it fitting to do something positive for our community, to do something which will lift the spirits of our people, and when better to start doing this than on Mandela Day,” said Kgabo.

The trio is working on registering Izandla Ziyagezane as a NPO.

“We go around the community to identify those who are in need and we form a relationship between ourselves and these families.

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“We then ask for donations from various areas and different people.

“The donations are then given to those families.

“At the moment we have no sponsors or funders,” said Naidoo.

Mdhluli said what started off as lending a helping hand has opened a door to helping the entire community.

“One of my favourite quotes from Nelson Mandela is ‘it always seems impossible until it’s done’, and we are living proof of that.

“What started off as a mere idea of just trying to assist has become a second hope for our people, and it’s simply amazing,” he added.

The event was a success due to the youth volunteering their time to assist the organisers.