A former Bonteheuwel resident has donated food to a feeding scheme in the neighbourhood where she grew up.
Latifah Jacobs, an activist for women’s rights and the food co-ordinator for the non-profit organisation, 1000Women1Voice, lives in Kuils River.
She says that for the past five years her family have replaced birthday parties with outreach projects. The latest outreach was in honour of her daughter, Jasmine, who celebrated her 14th birthday on Sunday June 28. It supported a project set up by three Bonteheuwel pensioners, Rasaat Joseph, Ebrahim McDavids and Daniel Morris.
“I’ve been wanting to give back to Bonteheuwel for quite a while, and two weeks before, I met Boeta Rasaat Joseph and Boeta Ebrahim McDavids at another outreach, and we started talking about assisting their feeding project in Plumbago Street,” says Ms Jacobs.
Just before lockdown started, the three men each contributed R300 towards a pot of food for their first outreach. They now distribute 250 meals twice a week.
“We saw children walking up and down the street, asking for bread, and as neighbours, the three of us decided to do something about it,” Mr Joseph says.
“Fortunately, we have received some dry food ingredients, and we scout the market for cheap vegetables. However, we pay for the gas we use from our own pockets. I did not hesitate to be part of this project, because I grew up here and I schooled here.
“I have been out of the area for 20 years and recently returned and wanted to give back.”
Ms Jacobs says her family have been involved with outreach work for as long as she can remember and she has passed the “tradition” on to her three daughters, who are all involved.
Running a feeding project, she says can be emotionally draining at times and she wishes the Plumbago Street project all the best.
“I pray that doors will open for them. You can have the biggest heart, but when resources dry up and doors are closed in your face, it can tire you mentally. It took a lot for them as men to ask for help,” she says.
Apart from the 100-litre pot of food, cooldrinks and oranges she donated, the children of Plumbago Street also enjoyed cupcakes and brownies donated by Ms Jacobs’s friends.
To help the Plumbago Street feeding project, contact Mr Joseph at 071 857 5122.