Cape Town – Reducing hunger and malnutrition among poor and vulnerable youths in Khayelitsha is a key objective of a newly opened community kitchen.
And an equally important aim, besides guaranteeing to provide daily meals to children of the Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy and to elderly residents, is to prevent the area's youngsters from engaging in crime, drugs and gangsterism.
So said Deputy Social Development Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, who opened the kitchen in partnership with the Pick n Pay Foundation and the Breaking Barriers Charity Drive on Sunday.
Addressing the guests, who included Premier Alan Winde, residents and the programme's children, Bogopane-Zulu said: “I want the kitchen to be a community nutrition development centre.
"Today we're not only handing over a kitchen, we're not only handing over free cheese and chairs and tables. We're also handing over to you a meal every day - not on Fridays only. There shall be a nutritious meal cooked every day in that kitchen.”
The department and the kitchen’s fellow sponsors would train the women preparing and handling the kitchen’s food, she said.
“We are going to make sure they cook not only for the children, but for the older person who lives alone in this community. Even older persons will come here to eat one nutritious meal per day.
"Not only that, but those who live alone, who are HIV-positive and are on chronic medication and are unable to cook for themselves, the kitchen will provide, through Social Development, a meal per day,” she said.
The Baphumelele Children’s Orphanage Home in Khayelitsha also received a donation of blankets, cutlery and toys.
“At least our children can feel there are people who care about them.
"We really appreciate the donation,” said social worker at the orphanage Ludwe Mandlana. He said the orphanage was started as a crèche in 1989 by Mama Rosie when some parents started abandoning their children.
It caters for 109 crèche and school-going children and has 58 caregivers, three social workers, a nurse and doctor.
After cutting the ribbon Bogopane-Zulu said the kitchen was meant to make sure the children were not going to cycle on empty stomachs, as well as get them off the streets, fight malnutrition and build champions on and off the bikes.
She said different NPOs and people contributed to the project, while Pick * Pay built its infrastructure and Breaking Barriers NPO made resources available to the programmes
The Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy harnesses the participating children’s potential through sport, mentorship programmes and other life skills activities.
With these programmes it gives them the opportunities they need to make better choices about their lives.