Couple’s own suffering leads to compassion for others

Having battled cancer, drug addiction and homelessness, married couple Lucille and Neil Benfield, of West Bank, were led to their calling in life — helping others.

The Local Hero nominees, both 47, started the Vukani Embrace Faith and Hope NPO in 2020, which is dedicated to healing, supporting and feeding the East London community. 

Lucille is in remission after battling cancer twice, Neil is eight years sober from substance abuse, but before that they lost their home, and almost their children, went from room to room rentals, were evicted, and moved into a shelter. 

Lucille volunteered and was later employed at the Downtown Christian Centre, which is where she said “God revealed our calling”.

She started their NPO in 2021.

Vukani Embrace Faith and Hope has about 30 volunteers working together in West Bank, Pefferville, Scenery Park, and more in various programmes — from support groups for men and women, co-ordinated by Lucille and Niel respectively, and two food gardens at abandoned plots.

A third plot is busy being cleared for another food garden in Cambridge. 

Lucille said: “The West Bank is like a ghost town, its existence has been forgotten by the city ...

“At the counselling sessions we invite ex-offenders or recovering addicts to speak on their journey.” 

They run a “Kids Club” during school holidays and every Saturday in the summer, host Christmas and Easter drives with parties, donation drives for feminine hygiene products, food parcels for beneficiaries, counselling for victims of gender-based violence, and provide support for households affected by substance abuse. 

“There are many child-headed families where both parents abuse drugs and alcohol,” Lucille said.

“There is a large number of vulnerable children, high teenage pregnancy rates, young sex workers and more.

“We serve them a sandwich and fruit with juice or a warm cooked meal, as most of the children come from poor homes.”

A member of the Border Kei Chamber of Business, the NPO has worked alongside numerous charity organisations from Buffalo City Metro, including Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, Guardians of Hope and Helping Those in Need. 

They also work within the prison system, partnering with the Hope Prison Ministry and their restorative justice programme at the West Bank Correctional Centre for Women. 

The organisation has no monthly financial backers but relies on donations from local businesses and the community.

They also organise fundraisers such as raffles and Vukani Wors Braais. 

“It has been extremely difficult to get help from the private sector and the government.

“We are also trying to raise funds to fund our projects.

“We do with the little we have, even though the need is so big out there.”

Beverly-Anne Bantam, 56, from Pefferville, nominated Lucille because of her dedication to helping a father and his newborn baby. 

Bantam said: “There was a young girl who had given birth in the middle of the night, they were very poor and we didn’t realise it at the time but the mother was on drugs.

“I put a request out to organisations for help.

“One gentleman sent Lucille and her team and they brought everything — a cot, baby clothing, nappies, baby wipes.”

Bantam knew Lucille through mutual connections but was not aware she ran an NPO. 

“I didn’t know this organisation or what she was doing, I was so surprised to see her.

“The mother of the baby ran away and stole whatever she could because she was on drugs.

“The father had bought 500l of long-life milk and mixed it with water, this is what a three-month-old baby had.

“It was in the evening when I phoned around. Lucille was cooking dinner, but she, her daughter and husband picked me up, and took us to the father’s house.

“She brought a box of formula, I don’t know how but she made a plan for the right-sized nappies and baby wipes, she brought them straight away, I couldn’t believe it.

“The two of us were standing and crying when we saw the child.

“This father is all by himself, it was very cold, he had rolled the baby up [in a blanket].

“I don’t know how long the baby had the one nappy on, I cleaned him up, we warmed a bottle and Lucille and I both sat until he had finished it.

“I know a lot of organisations and have personal experience of what they are all about — Lucille doesn’t give up, if she makes a promise she will leave everything behind and attend to somebody who needs help.”

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