Hundreds of small-scale rural farmers from six villages in the Bolothwa administrative area near Dutywa received 200 bales of fodder and 9,000 litres of water from the Gift of the Givers Foundation.
About 228 of the farmers suffered livestock losses during the three-year drought.
They sang at the handover function on Wednesday.
The donation became possible after one of the villagers, Lindinxiwa Mahlasela, who works for the government in Port Elizabeth, wrote to the foundation seeking assistance late last year.
The donation was shared among subsistence farmers from Qhokoma, Krweleda, Sihlabeni, Qeqe, Silityiwa and Bangweni.
Many were pensioners who rely on their livestock and a meagre state pension.
The farmers are affiliated to the Bolothwa Farmers Project.
Mahlasela said he had lost more than 100 lambs between 2016 and 2018.
“Sadly our villages have low rainfall density and you only get rains around February, while it is dry throughout the year,” he said.
“The past three years have been most problematic for us peasant farmers around here as our livestock die because of the drought.”
He said to keep his flock going, he at times forked out around R1,000 to buy water.
Mahlasela said the severity of the drought meant that only seven lambs out of 60 would survive.
Bholotwa Farmers Project chairman Solomon Zatu said up to 800 lambs and nearly 300 cows had died in the six drought-stricken villages.
He said although they often received help from the government, it was not enough for everyone in the villages.
“We get subsidised medicines, but the problem is that it’s for 40 farmers, when we have more than 200 small-scale farmers here. Those who do not get then have to use their pension monies to buy animal feed and medicine.”
Mnyamezeli Mkiva, 71, from Sihlabeni village could not contain his excitement at the donation, saying he had lost five cows and 15 sheep.
“I am unemployed and rely on this [farming] for survival. I have been forced to sell some to make money to buy medication for the same livestock. But with this donation, things will get easier for me.”
His words were echoed by Thimbile Ndikinda from Qhokoma village, who said he had lost 10 lambs to the drought.
Gift of the Givers Foundation project manager Ali Sablay said the foundation had spent around R200m on a drought-relief project in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Southern Cape.
He said the fodder given to Bholotwa farmers had been sourced in other provinces, and that “calls for help [among farmers] keep growing”.
He said in the Northern Cape, at least three farmers had committed suicide.
“Agriculture is the second biggest contributor to the country’s economy. In some places, drought does not only affect the farmers but the whole community, as some people are employed to work on farms.”
sikhon@dispatch.co.za..