After taking a much-needed break over the December holiday period, Humansdorp-based non-profit organisation, Ikhaya Labakhaya, will open the doors to their soup kitchen on February 20, to continue feeding under-privileged and vulnerable people in KwaNomzamo.
As previously reported by Kouga Express, Ikhaya Labakhaya was established in 2020 to allow the group’s 40 members to continue giving back to the people in their home town of KwaNomzamo, despite many relocating to various parts of South Africa.
In a bid to continue helping the under-privileged and vulnerable in KwaNomzamo, in March 2023 the organisation established a soup kitchen.
Group member Xolani Woni said that since the soup kitchen’s inception almost a year ago they have been doing well and have seen a lot of people from their community benefiting from the meals they receive twice weekly.
“We have seen the number of people grow during each food handover,” said Woni.
He said that during each session, which takes place on Tuesday and Thursday at their new premises at Archbishop Kwayiyo’s New Movement Church, they feed approximately 110 to 150 people.
“We feed children and adults up to the age of 70-years-old. Many of these people cannot provide for themselves, or don’t have anyone to look after them,” said Woni.
He said that for now they will continue operating twice weekly, but plan to offer meals each day from Monday to Friday.
“We worry about the people who look forward to the days that we are open. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, we are currently unable to offer meals every day,” said Woni.
After taking a much-needed break from December 2023 to January this year, he said that they were looking forward to opening the soup kitchen again on February 7, but unfortunately did not have enough sponsors to open.
Thankfully, Woni said that they recently received a large quantity of fresh vegetables from Kouga Municipality and are now set to feed the community again from February 20.
He said that even though they are currently focused on feeding the under-privileged in the community, they also help more people in various ways.
Woni said that their main objectives are to help the disadvantaged people from KwaNomzamo with education and youth empowerment through sports and arts.
In addition, he said that to improve the lives of all, they also help the community with various challenges they face.
Woni further said that their secondary objectives are to provide programmes to the youth to encourage them to stay in school; they provide social relief of distress programmes to the community, and they offer skills development programmes to empower the under-privileged.
He said that since the members from their organisation used money from their own pockets for their various initiatives, this year they are hoping to receive more donations.
“In order for us to succeed with our programmes, we need the support of everyone from our community, be it the municipality, local businesses, or anyone who can work with us,” said Woni.
For more information, or to donate to the organisation, contact Xolani Woni on 078 331 8839, or Sindiswa Meyt Witbooi on 071 035 9243.
