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| Charity Driven Organisation members with Lenasia CPF members next to the truck filled with basic necessities. |
By Priya Ranchod
Many residents of Lenasia and surrounding areas have been suffering since the start of the lockdown. Many people have lost their jobs; many have not been paid for the month and are still currently struggling to sustain themselves in this period. There has been a dire need for basic necessities in our communities where the Lenasia Covid-19/Community Policing Forum Task Team consisting of Saaberie Chishty Society, Lenasia Community Action Network set up by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Via Christi Church, Jamiatul-Ulama: Lenasia Branch, Progressive Tamil Movement, Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Ramakrishna Vedanta Society Trust, Crescent of Hope, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Al-Hudaar Foundation, MA-EFFECT, Sri Kumaraya Namah Ashram and Mandir, Spiritual Chords, South Indian Cultural Organisation, Lenasia South Tamil Cultural Organisation, Gauteng Tamil Federation, Islamic Medical Association, Extension 9 Welfare Group, Salaamedia Foundation and Charity Driven Organisation (CDO) came together to make sure that food parcels or money was sponsored towards food parcels and basic necessities to give the destitute in need.
“In an unprecedented show of social solidarity and compassion Lenasia residents, businesspeople and religious and community activists have opened their hearts since the Covid-19 lockdown a month ago to respond to the growing need for food security locally,” said Ismail Vadi, adding that over R4 million in public donations have been spent from various local sources on buying, packaging and distributing food hampers, sanitisers, masks and hot meals.
Vadi explained that more than 4000 12.5kg bags of mealie meal and over 9000 food hampers have been distributed to families in need in Lenasia, Thembelihle, Precast informal settlement, Northern Place/Railway Station informal settlement, Jyovito (Orange Farm), Klipspruit, Naren’s Farm, Lawley Station informal settlement and the small farming community near Gandhi’s Tolstoy Farm.
The food campaign was launched locally after prominent leaders led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe made a public call for food security in the country.
Aboobaker Sayed from Saaberie Chishty thanked the Lenasia community for coming out so strongly to help in this hour of need. “It’s amazing how quickly people have responded to the plight of the needy and the way in which we are coordinating efforts on the ground. This is the first time that we’re working so closely together,” he said.
Neeshan Balton, Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, indicated that they have done a “limited amount of work on food distribution” but the Foundation is mobilising communities throughout Gauteng to form localised Community Action Networks (CANS) to assist with the food campaign.
Azhar Vadi of Salaam Foundation stated that they have distributed masks, gloves, visors and hazmat medical suits to the volunteers linked to the Saaberie Chishty Burial Society, Lenasia Muslim Women’s Burial Committee, Kathrada Foundation and the Community Policing Forum in Lehae and Lenasia.
He said that personal protection equipment is in “short supply and volunteers need to protect themselves to serve the community”.
Nadas Pillay from the Progressive Tamil Movement said, “people have opened their hearts and addressed the dire needs of fellow residents in Lenasia and various informal settlements”.
Mohamed Bismillah from the Lenasia Covid-19 Task Team, who has been overseeing the logistics of food distribution locally, said that this has been a big learning curve.
“We’ve not had to respond in the past on such a large scale and in such a short time to a looming crisis, but our community has been fantastic. Their hearts are open, and they are giving donations without hesitation for which we are eternally grateful,” he said.
Safieya Moosa from Charity Chords said: “Within its grip of fear and health risks Covid19 has somehow succeeded in surfacing a feeling of social conscience and moral duty for those who are blessed to use what they have to help others, a sentiment very rooted in the values by which Spiritual Chords operates,” adding that giving is more impactful when done discreetly and with good collaborations.
Spiritual Chords acknowledged and thanked its partners in COVID relief efforts including One Small Act of Kindness, Nanima Foundation, Ameer Amod of A&A wholesalers, The Sai Ladies group, women of Randburg and Youth for Survival who sewed some of the 17 thousand reusable fabric masks that were distributed in various shelters, townships and to police forums and relief workers, Muslim Youth Council, Al Imdaad Foundation, JMPD, SAPS, various ward councilors and MEC’s, MediRescue, shelter residents and volunteers that helped pack over 8000 hampers that were distributed to needy.
Shireen Ebrahim of CDO explained that 10 000 gloves, 5000 toilet papers and 5000 Covid-19 educational pamphlets handed over from Charity Driven Organisation with sponsors Ubungcweti Management Services; Shekinah Resources; Trivs Medical Sevices and AppleGroup of Printing Companies to Saaberie Chishty with the Lenasia Community Policing Forum (CPF), stating: “We thank our Sponsors for their contributions, and the Lenasia CPF with Saaberie Chisty for distributing to the community.”
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| Lenasia CPF members handing out mielie meal in Lehae. |
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| Volunteers of Spiritual Chords packing food packs. |
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| Food parcels handed out by volunteers of Palestine Solidarity Alliance. |
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| Salaamedia Team taking food parcels to the needy. |
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