GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - One’s Fate Foundation, a Graaff-Reinet based NGO aimed at making a meaningful difference in the lives of the underprivileged, commemorated Mandela Day with an initiative aimed at uplifting vulnerable members of the community.
The foundation started off their 67 minutes of service in honour of Nelson Mandela by serving meals to patients and staff at the Midland Hospital and clinics in the Horseshoe, Kroonvale, and uMasizakhe.
They then went on to distribute meals and clothes to residents in Santaville, 7de Laan, and the Vrygrond informal settlement.
Mbulelo Tini, chairperson of the foundation, said that this effort was made possible through the collaboration of many, to whom they extended their heartfelt thanks.
He made special mention of the Graaff-Reinet community for their kindness and support, Spar and other local businesses for their generous donations, the students of the South African College for Tourism for preparing the delicious meals, the foundation’s dedicated volunteers for serving the meals and distributing clothes to those in need, and everyone who contributed to making the day a success.
“Thank you for making this Mandela Day truly memorable. As we reflect on the spirit of Mandela Day, we are reminded of the timeless words of King Solomon in Proverbs 19:17: 'Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done'.”
Rare Housewives of Graaff-Reinet
The Rare Housewives of Graaff-Reinet spent their 67 minutes in the Riemvasmaak informal settlement, handing out clothing and shoes for all ages.
Anyone was welcome to help themselves to the items, which were displayed on washing lines, tables and chairs.
"It warmed our hearts to know that we could make a difference in people’s lives,” said Catherine Solomon-Reid, founder of this group that is dedicated to good deeds within the community.
Shashemane Hub
In commemoration of Mandela Day, the members of the Shashemane Hub in the Vrygronde informal settlement harvested their agro-ecological garden and prepared the produce at the Shashemane soup kitchen.
They then shared the food and clothing with the broader community. The youth of Vrygronde also entertained the community.
The hub concept was introduced by the Co-operative Policy Alternative Centre (Copac) - a grassroots development organisation based at Wits University, the Graaff-Reinet-based Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) and other national strategic partners as part of the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign (SAFSC).
The primary objective of the hub is to address the urgent issue of poverty and hunger in the community, and to promote agroecology as a sustainable development alternative to dirty fossil fuel energy developments such as shale gas exploration ("fracking"), that have been promoted in parts of South Africa, particularly in the Karoo.
Infrastructure and agricultural inputs for the establishment of the Shashemane agroecological garden towards the end of 2020 were made available to the Vrygronde community by a local business, Montego Feeds, and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, a German donor that has been supporting the national #BanFracking Campaign that was launched by the SCLC in 2015.
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