One fresh croissant with cheese, a pair of second-hand shoes and two vegetables. . . all for only R5.
One Village, a non-profit organisation that was part of the team that fed thousands of residents every day when the COVID-19 lockdown left vulnerable people without the means to provide food for their families, has now grown to a new dimension.
Founded by Sonya Hofler and Evelyn Markides, the organisation recently launched R5 ticket books to assist those in need.
Residents can buy booklets from One Village for R100 and donate them to empower someone.
Each booklet contains 20 tickets valued at R5 each, which recipients can redeem at the One Village Shop at 30 Jeffreys Street, Jeffreys Bay – either for a meal or a previously loved item.
“Apart from buying food or items needed for their family, they will be able to use the ticket to attend skills classes,” said Hofler.
“We want to keep money off the streets. The aim is to lessen the misuse of money given by the community to people. Kouga 2gether, as a group of NPOs, will work in conjunction with One Village on this project, in different scopes, as each has a specific service to offer.”
Organisations, schools, businesses and churches can also get involved by becoming a distribution point on consignment.
The duo, furthermore, tackled the mammoth task of getting involved in a food garden and organic shop on the pavement next to the garden.
The garden, situated just off Koraal Street, inside the side fence of the Jeffreys Bay Comprehensive High School, is open on Saturdays from 09:00 to 12:00.
“The garden is a partnership with Vlakteplaas Quarry, Pieter Kok and our green fingers angel, Pauline Plaatjies,” said Hofler.
All proceeds raised from the ticket books and garden go back into community social projects.
Not stopping there
Apart from the newly established partnership with the food garden and initiation of the R5 ticket books, One Village also supports 48 soup kitchens across the Kouga region – providing 1 800 meals per week.
Not only planting and selling vegetables, Sonya and Evelyn, with Pauline and other NPOs and organisations in Jeffreys Bay, with existing gardens and knowledge, will also educate soup kitchen volunteers and learners from nearby schools in the finer techniques of sustainable vegetable gardening – enabling them to provide for their own families.
More information
Monetary donations can be made to One Village at Standard Bank, account number 10150168355, branch 051001, reference Donations.
For more information, contact Evelyn Markides at 083 382 5043 or Sonya Hofler at 078 087 2806. Alternatively, send an email to onevillage@gmail.com.
Visit the One Village website at www.onevillage.co.za.
