A helping hand all the way from Asia reached poverty-stricken communities in Lwandle and Nomzamo last Friday (6 September), where a handover event was attended by Taiwanese diplomats and their associates, together with local councillors and members of the community.
According to proportional representative (PR) councillor Unathi Lasiti, he met with a representative from the Taiwanese government at the Taipei Liaison Office the previous week to discuss the plight of residents in Nomzamo and Lwandle who were severely affected by heavy rains during the winter season.
Following the meeting, the Taiwanese government committed to providing assistance to the community and last Friday a public engagement was held where over 300 kg of premium quality rice from Taiwan, among other essential food items, was distributed to affected residents.
Additional donations were received from the Cape Town Mar Tzu Association, which provided food packs containing essential items such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, spaghetti, flour and canned fish.
The Cape Town Mar Tzu Association are regular donors of food items and wheelchairs to Cape communities.
During the handover, Lily Chen, director general of the Taipei Liaison Office, said a few words and acknowledged the assistance and contributions from the Mar Tzu Association, and encouraged residents to remain positive and steadfast despite the challenges they face.
Also in attendance was DA member of the Western Cape Parliament, Benedicta van Minnen, who similarly acknowledged the donations as a selfless act of kindness and generosity which bodes well for relationships.
Lasiti expressed gratitude for the donations, stating that the contributions are instrumental in reducing poverty in the affected areas. “The community could not stop thanking and appreciating the efforts we made in helping them,” he said.
He praised the strong relationship that has been established between his office, the Taiwanese government representatives, and the Mar Tzu Association to ensure continued collaboration and support for the community. Lasiti further called on businesses and organisations in the Helderberg area to join the effort to assist vulnerable communities.
- Any interested organisations or businesses can contact him for more information at 072 432 0545.
