Since August, the Ubuntu Women and Community Forum (UWCF) has operated a soup kitchen on Tuesdays in Ethembeni, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Grahamstown that is home to 316 households.
Since August, the Ubuntu Women and Community Forum (UWCF) has operated a soup kitchen on Tuesdays in Ethembeni, an informal settlement on the outskirts of Grahamstown that is home to 316 households.
For the past three weeks they have had a new partner in Pick n Pay, which has supported their efforts by donating bread, vegetables, and vouchers with which to buy soup ingredients. Pick n Pay supports a variety of local soup kitchens and charities through donations, and giving away any bread that remains at the end of the day.
Yet, it is difficult for franchise partner Jon Campbell to make the time to visit and see the good work that they are doing. When he was approached by the forum's chairperson Claudia Martinez, however, he was particularly moved by her passion and enthusiasm.
She insisted he not just give support but also visit the soup kitchen, and he found the trip very moving. Campbell and several of his staff visited for the third time this Tuesday, where they were welcomed by a large crowd of women who greeted and thanked them with a song.
Hunger has been a persistent problem in this community, and the soup kitchen, though still new, has made an impact, feeding 200 people a week. "They know that at least on Tuesday, they have something to eat," said Nosigqibo Soxujwa, secretary of the forum.
Many children were present among the crowd on this particular day, and Campbell made a note to bring something sweet for them next week. "Children didn't ask to suffer. They didn't ask to go hungry," he said.
The community faces struggles that go beyond hunger. The houses in Ethembeni have no electricity, and the 316 households share a scant seven water taps. Water coverage is also spotty, and like other parts of the city they saw their taps run dry last week.
The UWCF was founded to respond to the pressures women face in Ethembeni and other informal settlements, where they suffer directly or indirectly from abuse, unemployment and alcoholism in the community.
The forum has over 400 members who include representatives from many communities within Grahamstown. Their primary goal, according to Martinez, is political education, but community outreach projects like soup kitchens are also an important component of their work.
Martinez described being moved to action by the sense of hopelessness she encounters in some communities. The government, she said, has not fulfilled the promises it made during the fight against apartheid, and many people are disillusioned by the lack of progress.
"Fifty years of the struggle and they feel defeated." Shortly after his election, Executive Mayor Zamuxolo Peter spoke with Martinez and expressed his eagerness to work with the forum. Martinez and the UWCF leadership are currently seeking a meeting with Mayor Peter and plan to present him with a document outlining the specific needs of the people who live in informal settlements, from their perspective, so that concrete action can be taken to improve their situation.
Campbell hopes that the community will follow Pick n Pay in supporting the efforts of the forum in Ethembeni, and has arranged a trolley at Pick n Pay where throughout November the community can bring donations of food, clothing, and blankets. "If each of us does just a little, it'll make a huge difference," he said.
