“We are here to help each other carry our burdens. Life is not easy – no man is an island – we all need help.”
These are the words of Holy Cross Anglican Church priest and Masibambisane home-based care founder, Nokuzola Kota.
She was speaking at an event where 25 families of orphaned and vulnerable children received food parcels such as samp and beans, cooking oil, baking flour, rice, blankets and clothing items as an early Christmas gift at the church in NU1 Mdantsane.
Through a contribution from a Cape Town-based non-profit organisation, Mustadafin, Masibambane home-based care, Siyazakha Community Project and Masikhanye home-based care were able to help the families in need with the food parcels and clothing items.
The three NPOs are on a mission to fight poverty and crime in the community through empowerment programmes and food donations.
“As a way of saying thank you to us for using our premises when they were in East London, Mustdadafin gave us a generous contribution and that is what we are using today to help these families,” said Kota.
The children were identified through an after-school programme that feed children and helps them with their homework.
The programme is run by Masikhanye home-based care, an initiative run by the Holy Cross Church.
“I am so happy and grateful for this gift. When my son told me about it I thought it was a meeting. I was not aware that we were going to get food parcels. The month is very bad, and I did not even know what we were going to have for supper tonight,” said Zoleka Tefu, who is a guardian of her late brother’s son.
Yandiswa Mdingi, who takes care of her son’s three children who are all beneficiaries from the Masikhanye programme, said: “I really did not expect this. When we were told to bring our ID and our children’s birth certificate, I thought we have to sign up the children for something. I did not know this is what we are getting. We are truly grateful to minister Kota and her team.”
Siyazakha founder Florence Mvana said: “I am so excited to be here once again and give something to my community. This is what I live for now, seeing the lives of children change and being able to make a change, no matter how small, in my community.”..