Cape Town - With the imposition of the national lockdown to prevent the deadly coronavirus, a group of young people from Wesley location near Ngqushwa in the Eastern Cape have rallied to donate food parcels to the needy.
One of the group organisers Mzoli Hem said they had helped up to 12 families to date.
“We have helped at least 12 families so far but we have many families in desperate need of food."
Hem said the initiative started after seeing that the government had listed less than 10 people from the village for the food parcels.
"We know that government schemes are not coordinated properly, so we went out asking for donations from individuals and businesses in the village," he said.
A group member Asanda Ncanywa said: "This is a difficult time for many people in the village and we must continue to make sure that families are assisted where there is a need.”
Ncanywa said they have encountered sad stories in their village.
"Many people are unemployed, some are child-headed households which are forced to visit relatives daily so they can eat for that day. Others are forced to loiter in the village in search of food, in contravention of the lockdown regulations,” she said.
Ncanywa said they managed to raise a donation of almost R10 000, and said they will make means to continue with the initiative.
One of the beneficiaries, Nokwanele Njongi, 51, expressed her gratitude upon receiving her food donation. She said it came at a crucial time to help her feed her family during this difficult period.
“We are grateful for this donation. It will definitely make a difference in our lives. The food parcels contain enough food to last the family for about a month,” Njongi said.
Another group member, Vuyiswa Poni, said people are unable to fend for themselves due to the Covid-19 lockdown regulations. They are now dependent on government and good Samaritans for their daily bread,” she said.
Poni said as young people they were forced by circumstances to roll up their sleeves and swing into action.
“These parcels will make a huge difference in our people’s lives. They won’t go to bed on empty stomachs," Poni said.