Residents get together to assist the Covid-19 destitute

While the world is grappling to come to terms with the coronavirus crisis, a group of Louis Trichardt residents are collecting funds to buy food hampers and assist destitute families. By Tuesday, the group had already collected more than R42 000, enough to buy 170 food hampers.

The initiative started in an almost spontaneous manner, with several residents realising that the Covid-19 crisis might cause severe food shortages. Mr Taimon Gumbo, one of the residents in the upper part of town, contacted a couple of his neighbours and discussed a possible project to assist people in need.

“I noticed that many around Louis Trichardt live from hand to mouth and they earn their living from day-to-day interaction with others. With the lockdown, their means of providing an income was taken away,” he says. Gumbo realised that the notice period was also too short for people to be able to prepare and be ready for the financial crisis. “All I wanted to achieve was to put food on the table, especially for women and child-headed families, to provide some relief,” he says.

His ideas were quickly embraced by other residents and an informal WhatsApp group was formed. A decision was made not to collect money directly, but rather to ask residents to do transfers to a supplier of such hampers. Spar Louis Trichardt came on board and offered to compile a bucket with essential food stuff. The hamper includes maize meal, sugar, rice, baked beans, pilchards, cooking oil and soya mince. A bar of soap will also be added. Each hamper costs R250.

Another resident, Ms Nousheen Cassim, offered to assist and compile a list of people who made contributions. What was made clear right from the start was that the project should be strictly regulated and everything possible must be done to ensure that the relief ends up with the families that need it most.

A local non-profit company, Bergcare, also came on board and offered logistical assistance. Bergcare currently delivers food parcels to 135 people in town every two weeks. The proposal was made that Bergcare serve as a centralised depot where these hampers can be stored and then collected by the distribution teams.

A representative of the Department of Social Development was asked to assist with the project and several church groups also offered to help identify needy families in adjacent residential areas such as Tshikota and Vleyfontein. At the time of our going to press, the lists had been assessed and strategies discussed to maximise the impact of the assistance.

Some group members warned that the Covid-19 crisis has not yet reached a peak. The urgent need may only intensify in a week or two. The fear is that many families will have no more money left to buy food. The important thing that was stated was that the food parcels be distributed when the need is critical.

A further suggestion was made that information leaflets about Covid-19 be made available to recipients of these food hampers. The Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror, in conjunction with the Zoutpansberg Private Hospital, came on board and offered to compile and print an eight-page booklet on Covid-19.

An appeal was made to more residents to become involved in the project. “Worldwide, we should all rally together for a common cause,” says Gumbo.

For more information about the project, Gumbo (061 4792664) or Cassim (072 285 1009) can be contacted.

Date:11 April 2020

By: Anton van Zyl

Anton van Zyl has been with the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror since 1990. He graduated from the Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg) and obtained a BA Communications degree. He is a founder member of the Association of Independent Publishers.

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