A Port Alfred woman is doing her bit to help drought-stricken Eastern Cape farmers by collecting containers and water for them.Angi Bezuidenhout has sent hundreds of litres to Aliwal North and plans to send thousands more to the Chris Hani area. Since she started a social media campaign on Tuesday called Water 4 Life, 5000 litres have been collected from Port Alfred and surrounding towns.
“It started as a trickle but it’s pouring in now,” Bezuidenhout said yesterday. “The response has been unbelievable. People who have rainwater tanks at home are calling to say we can drain hundreds of litres. The problem is containers.”
To try and keep up with the flow, Bezuidenhout – who works as a carer for months at a time in England – has dug into her own pocket and spent R1000 on second-hand 25-litre containers. “My husband Des owns a garden service and the plan is to ask holiday home owners if we can drain their tanks for those who need it in the Border area.”
A farmer’s daughter from Cradock, Bezuidenhout has had first-hand experience of drought.
Thanks to social media, she made contact with Michiel van der Merwe from East London who started Farmers in Need of Water Eastern Cape and they are working together to try and help as many people as they can. In four days more than 40000 people saw Van der Merwe’s Facebook page and 60000 litres were donated.
“I don’t have words to describe what the response has been like.”
Van der Merwe said farmers in desperate need of water were welcome to contact them and that they would even deliver in some cases.
Thousands of litres were delivered to local township residents.
lPort Alfred people keen to help can contact Bezuidenhout on 084-457-7771. East Londoners can contact Van der Merwe on 081-555-8000.
Activists ship water to the thirsty
Angi Bezuidenhout has sent hundreds of litres to Aliwal North and plans to send thousands more to the Chris Hani area. Since she started a social media campaign on Tuesday called Water 4 Life, 5000 litres have been collected from Port Alfred and surrounding towns.
“It started as a trickle but it’s pouring in now,” Bezuidenhout said yesterday. “The response has been unbelievable. People who have rainwater tanks at home are calling to say we can drain hundreds of litres. The problem is containers.”
To try and keep up with the flow, Bezuidenhout – who works as a carer for months at a time in England – has dug into her own pocket and spent R1000 on second-hand 25-litre containers. “My husband Des owns a garden service and the plan is to ask holiday home owners if we can drain their tanks for those who need it in the Border area.”
A farmer’s daughter from Cradock, Bezuidenhout has had first-hand experience of drought.
Thanks to social media, she made contact with Michiel van der Merwe from East London who started Farmers in Need of Water Eastern Cape and they are working together to try and help as many people as they can. In four days more than 40000 people saw Van der Merwe’s Facebook page and 60000 litres were donated.
“I don’t have words to describe what the response has been like.”
Van der Merwe said farmers in desperate need of water were welcome to contact them and that they would even deliver in some cases.
Thousands of litres were delivered to local township residents.
lPort Alfred people keen to help can contact Bezuidenhout on 084-457-7771. East Londoners can contact Van der Merwe on 081-555-8000.
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