NPO feeding Mdantsane’s hungry since 2017

Starting the Real View Foundation to help the most vulnerable people in his community, Bulelani Fowl spends his days feeding children, the elderly and families in need.

The foundation was established in 2017 and sees Fowl, 37, feed more than 180 people on a daily basis in Mdantsane NU3.

Through his organisation, Fowl also runs anti-drug campaigns, support groups and exercise programmes to encourage a healthy lifestyle for elderly community members and more.

“Any community members that are in need benefit from the organisation.

“We are not focusing on any gender or age. We are here to help any person who is in need.

“Seeing my community members having nothing to do on a daily basis, ending up abusing alcohol and drugs or doing unnecessary things is what made me decide to start the organisation.

“And when I saw children going to school without school shoes and on an empty stomach until they eat at lunch time [school feeding scheme] made me realise we had to provide food for people too,” he said.

Over the last three years, the organisation has run a soup kitchen, providing three meals a day from Monday to Friday.

The foundation also hosts HIV/Aids and men’s support groups for the community.

“The Man-to-Man support group takes place on Tuesdays and is a way for men to gather together and empower and advise each other on their daily challenges,” said Fowl.

“Every Thursday, we also run a support group for people affected by HIV/Aids and other diseases.”

Fowl said the foundation had also adopted Khanyisa Lower Primary School and Mzomhle High School in Mdantsane.

“We feed the children on a weekly basis and run a programme that consists of homework assistance, sport, indigenous games and other activities with the children,” said Fowl.

“We’ve also tried to, where possible, get school uniforms and school shoes donated for those that do not have.”

He said the foundation had also established a gardening project in the community.

As a non profit organisation, the Real View Foundation depends on sponsorship and donations to keep running.

“Highway SUPERSPAR sponsor me with groceries every week and Build it donated funds and labour to build the organisation’s structure in 2018.

“We are very grateful for their support,” he said.

Fowl said seeing his community benefit from his foundation what kept him going and inspired him to continue his work.

“I’m so motivated when I see the beneficiaries are improving and successfully tackling the many challenges they were facing.

“The most rewarding part about this is the appreciation from the community members and the councillor of the ward,” Fowl said.

Kayalethu Lobi, principal of Khanyisa Lower Primary School, said Fowl’s efforts had made a big difference in the lives of many children.

“The work of his organisation is very important,” Lobi said.

“He [Fowl] has managed to get some uniforms and school shoes donated for more than 20 of our pupils and makes sure those in need receive food every day,” said Lobi.

“Bulelani [Fowl] runs a soup kitchen and gives our pupils breakfast before school.

“Hunger is a problem in our community, you can’t do anything on an empty stomach so the daily meals he gives these children helps us a lot.

“He is doing a lot for us and we are so happy to have someone like him help our community and school,” Lobi said.