Two Durbanville charities have launched a campaign to provide food parcels to every household in Fisantekraal during the national lockdown.
According to Wayne Allen, of Chanan 54, a non-profit company helping orphans and vulnerable children, more than three quarters of the 55 000 people in Fisantekraal are under 20 and there are many child-led families.
“The unemployment rate is extremely high. These families simply cannot afford to buy more food, especially with the lockdown being extended.”
The R60 food parcels being put together for the Hope Fisant campaign include a 1kg of flour, 1kg of maize meal, 1kg of rice, 500g of beans, 250g of soy mince, 500g of salt and 250g of sugar.
“At the moment, we are targeting 16 500 parcels which will cost in the region of R990 000. In Fisantekraal, the average size of the families range from 6 to 10 people, and if you look at a family of six, then this parcel will last a week, which works out to feeding that family with R1.50 a day.”
One of the people who will be thankful for the food parcel is Fisantekraal resident Sabina Sitemele, the eldest member of her family of six.
“I cannot work because I am 60 years old,” Ms Sitemele said, “but I have a family to feed here at home. I am really grateful for all the help the people are giving us, we really need all the help we can get.”
GiveWise’s Lucinda Valentine says her organisation has been collecting donations for food parcels and delivering them to homes in Fisantekraal, prioritising the most vulnerable – about 1000 households.
“We are so pleased that this whole thing has mushroomed into something so big, and now we have shifted our focus to every household in the area. The most vulnerable households will be first on our list, and we will work our way down the list till every home in Fisantekraal has a food parcel.”
The Hillsong Africa Foundation is organising the bulk buying and packing of the non-perishable food for the campaign. The public can also contact the foundation to make donations.
Mr Allen said: “100% of what we raise will go towards the parcels. My family has taken upon ourselves to handle all the other costs such as petrol and any other costs that may come from the campaign, nobody is getting a salary out of this.”
To help, contact givewise@outlook.com, stephanie.gribben@hillsong.co.za or office@chanan54.org