As the nation commemorated Youth Day, concerned citizens of ward five in Ezibeleni embarked on their second phase of house-to-house food parcel delivery.
Initiators of this project, Loyiso Gwiliza and Wanda Mayongo, gave out the much-needed food items to residents last month and had promised to deliver more food packages to vulnerable community members who did not benefit from government handouts in the area.
“The provision of food-assistance packages is targeted at the most vulnerable – old persons and child-headed homes. This roll out is a broad collection of interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of Covid-19 in our community as well as the inequality, poverty and unemployment. This interaction is an opportunity to focus on matters that confront the young people of today, to reflect on the progress that we have made in empowering young people and to determine the tasks that lie ahead. The coronavirus pandemic has had major health, economic and social effects on the lives of young and old people.”
Gwiliza and Mayongo thanked the Menye family, residents in the ward, for their contribution and local doctor Phiwe Jafta. “The project is ongoing and we will continue to request assistance as we are still on a mission to assist as many as possible. Thank you to our friends and family for their support in this initiative.”
Residents continue to benefit in the roll out of food relief parcels in different areas of Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM).
Last week a member of the provincial legislature, Nonceba Kontsiwe, was at the Rocklands community hall where she donated food parcels to be distributed to 100 families from Tarkastad, Hofmeyr and the Ntabethemba villages.
The recipients were identified by councilors of the former Tsolwana cluster which now falls under EMLM as wards 30 to 34.
Kontsiwe said she was happy that government, through community support, was able to aid families affected by the lockdown.
“I am very happy that we managed to get food to these people. The councilors had been reaching out for a while to families who were adversely affected by the lockdown.
“The donations were from the office of the premier (Oscar Mabuyane). The food was received from a food bank in East London. The premier was also supposed to be part of the handover but unfortunately could not attend.
Vuyelwa Hayiya, 54, one of the recipients, said she had resorted to begging because her family had run out of food.
“Before we received the parcel I had approached my local councilor because we had nothing. He did not even hesitate and personally gave me food. I went to extremes by taking pictures of empty bowls to send to people as I was hoping to get help.”
