COVID-19 Response Projects in South Africa: Direct Aid for Food Supplies
1) Sondla Abantwana (Taking Care of Children)
In partnership with the Rotary Club (RC) of Johnannesburg New Dawn, the RC of Winnipeg donated USD $1500 to help feed resident students at the Alexandra township near Sandton, Johannesburg. In April of 2020, RC New Dawn established the Sondla Abantwana fund to assist the Alexandra Education Committee’s (AEC) efforts to provide financial support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The AEC has set up a direct system of electronic fund transfers to the bank accounts of the neediest pupils who, in return, provide receipts of their purchases. This approach has proven to be extremely orderly and agile in response to the pressing need.
In a Rotary Zoom meeting on August 5th, several members of RC New Dawn joined and thanked the RC of Winnipeg directly.
- Porridge Project
Our partner Rotary E-Club of South Africa One brought our attention to a resourceful means of providing basic nutrition to large numbers of people in remote villages near Pietermaritzburg. E-Club One is working in conjunction with the North West University’s “Centre for Advanced Manufacturing” and the Potch-Tlokwe Chamber of Commerce to craft and distribute a pre-cooked maize-based porridge. Each meal costs a mere 8 cents (CDN), and a 5 Kg bag of the porridge coverts into 100 meals! The RC of Winnipeg donated USD $1300 toward this noble cause.
- Food Supplies
Through his brother who resides in Kwazulu-Natal, the Rotary Club (RC) of Winnipeg’s Director of International Service, Strini Reddy, was able to obtain a large amount of food supplies to provide to remote communities in the region. The supplies were transported from Pietermaritzburg to our partner RC Hillcrest, who in turn saw to the distribution of the food to the neediest areas. $2500 was donated to accomplish this service.
