By LIKHAPHA THAATHAA
Most people do not carry cash anymore. That is why Food4Futures (Ithemba Le Kamva) has made it easy for people to tip car guards or anyone who needs money or food with its Parking4Parcels (P4P), easy-to-access, mini-parcel tickets.
Ithemba Le Kamva started the project in November 2021 by producing tickets in quantities of R5, R10, R15, and R20. In exchange, ticket holders can receive food parcels at Food4Futures’s office at 2 Dundas Street.
Initially, Food4Futures’ offices sold the tickets solely at their offices. Now, people can also purchase them from the following places:
- Rat and Parrot – New Street
- Makana Tourism – Church Square
- Red Café – Upper High Street
- Grahamstown Properties – Peppergrove Mall (Allen Street exit)
The organisation’s founder, Mary Birt, said car guards or any ticket holder could exchange R5 tickets for 100g soup and 250g mielie meal. The R10 tickets are for a 400g mielie meal, 150g sugar, 100g soup, and eight tea bags, while the R15 vouchers can be exchanged for 550g mielie meal, 200g sugar, 100g soup, and eight tea bags.
Ticket holders can trade in the largest R20 vouchers of R20 for 900g mielie meal, 400g sugar, 100g soup, and eight tea bags. In addition, she said they have an extra R10 parcel for those who may need one.
Birt said the project has been thriving since it started, and she hopes more people will support it. “We have multiple vouchers coming in, and we are happy about that,” she said. The total value of tickets sold since November 2021 is R14 650.
Birt said car guards save these tickets, giving them a shopping experience.
Some car guards appreciate this initiative. “I like food parcels because they help me eat with my family,” said one car guard.
Food4Futures aims to alleviate hunger in Makhanda, and the P4P project is helping them achieve their goal.
According to Birt, Food4Futures wants nothing but to help people in the city. “We don’t want to make any profit from this project – we only want to give food to the community,” she said.
