Cape Town - Ahead of the Easter weekend, Gift of the Givers (GOTG) turned to the often overlooked and under-cared for area of Ashbury, Montagu, to deliver much-needed aid.
The relief organisation distributed 200 food hampers to underprivileged people identified by residents and soup kitchens. It also provided two senior residents with wheelchairs at Ashbury Primary School yesterday.
GOTG project manager, Ali Sablay, said one of the recipients, who is also blind, would have to be carried by her children for clinic and hospital visits.
Soup kitchens were given bulk food supplies to make sure their operations could run smoothly, as daily feedings were impacted by financial constraints.
“GOTG teams will be supporting the soup kitchens for the next 12 months. Our teams will be here monthly to deliver these bulk food items so children, physically challenged, chronic patients who have to take medication, TB patients and HIV patients, can be fed every day,” Sablay said.
GOTG will also establish a food garden at the school to help it provide daily meals for more than 1 000 pupils, and for the soup kitchens.
Sablay expressed gratitude to Montagu businessman and Swanns Bus Services owner, Juan Swanepoel, who donated a building to GOTG for the community soup kitchens operation.
Swanepoel said the donation was in memory of his 23-year-old son, who died three years ago.
Sablay said the lease and donation was unconditional, as long as it brought upliftment and progress for the community.
Ashbury has a population of just more than 7 000 residents. GOTG was contacted by RAM – Rescue Among Many – Charity Projects chairperson Carol Bruton to ask for respite for the community, saying resources were exhausted.
Sablay said teams would be back to see what further assistance was required.
“Many of the people we serve in the area of Montagu are farmworkers, and they rely on seasonal work. So when the seasons are done, there is no work for those parents and mothers,” he said.
Bruton said: “There is a lot of food security needed for the families, which is why we approached GOTG to assist us. We are already running four home kitchens, and found we needed to increase food security.”
Bruton said meals were provided six days a week, across its four kitchens.
KFC has also come on board to sponsor ingredients for the next 12 months, particularly in Touwsrivier and Montague.