KARIEGA – After the closure of one non-profit organisation (NPO) in McNaughton, Kariega, two unemployed residents took it upon themselves to establish their own, geared towards feeding underprivileged children of the area and surrounding areas.
Langa Hope and Help, a non-profit company (NPC) established by Asisipho Jaceni and Sivuyile Sardines, both the NPC’s director and chairperson respectively, saw a gap in the market of feeding children of their community and took it upon themselves to fill it from their own pockets, as limited as they are.
According to Sardines, “Langa Hope and Help is an organisation that prioritises welfare, especially that of children. We are trying by all means to unite children of the community, and we are currently in the process of creating programmes for the children so that they can learn and have fun at the same time. As we are unemployed, we rely solely on fundraising efforts that we have as well as taking out of our own pockets to feed our community.”
He added, “The inspiration behind starting this NPC was after the closure of the one we had in the community a while ago. Children would normally go there after school once a week for a hearty meal. Now, we don’t have a place that helps people in need in our community – we wanted to bring that back.”
Registered on 6 July, the NPC had applied to be an NPO; however, Jaceni added that they had been waiting for an outcome for four months. “In order to get sponsorships and help from organisations, a non-profit must have an NPO number; however, we have been waiting for a response since July 10. This has slowed down our progress significantly because we need that NPO number to implement the plans we have. I would understand if they said we are missing documents, but the Department of Social Development has not come back to us with an outcome,” said Jaceni.
Jaceni added that having an NPO number would make it easier for them to apply for sponsorships. They require these sponsorships to improve the services they give to the children of the community. “We need gas stoves for when we are hit with power outages, which happens a lot, sometimes with no warning. We also need clothes, shoes, blankets and uniforms that we can donate to the children in need. We often provide limited food where we can, but help in that department would be appreciated as well, specifically non-perishable items.”
Sardines added that they hope to grow to greater heights. “We would love to create an environment where learning meets laughter. We want to create a reading programme for children, starting next year to reintroduce reading initiatives amongst the children.” He added, “The children come from underprivileged backgrounds and often have no food to eat during the day. We don’t just want to provide them with food; we also want to introduce the love of learning and self-dignity by educating them about hygiene. We also ask the community to assist us in providing that for the children.
Sometimes we have teenagers here who are in need of sanitary products and toiletries. We would like to educate them about the importance of those and also provide starter packs to them. We hope that doing this will bring a sense of pride to the future generation.”
The NPC feeds children every Thursday after school at 15:00 at their residence, 21 -23rd Avenue, McNaughton, Kariega. The children are welcome to stay there and play until 17:00. Jaceni added, “We would also plead with the community to help with toys, like skipping ropes, footballs, chess boards and pieces, board games and other activities that can make after-school life more fun.”
Event organiser and volunteer of Langa Hope and Help, Kuda Kasere, said that they would be hosting a fundraising event on 11 October at 21-23rd Avenue, McNaughton, Kariega. According to the organisers, the community event is being held to raise funds for charitable purposes, with all proceeds going directly to charity work.
Jaceni said, “The event will feature various activities including a bouncy castle, dance battle, and water slide. Food vendors will be selling popcorn and candyfloss, and we have arranged additional games and entertainment for attendees. Entry to the event is set at R5 per person.”
Jaceni added that the fundraiser aims to bring the community together whilst supporting local charitable initiatives. “The event is open to the public and families are encouraged to attend the day-long activities.”
For more info or to assist, email volunteer Kuda Kasere at kudakasere@gmail.com.
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