Gogo Miki Winfred Linda prepares a meal.
There are many unsung heroines who hail from the dusty streets of Khayelitsha.
Among them is Miki Winfred Linda who took the bold decision to start a soup kitchen from her RDP house in Kuyasa 16 years ago, using just her disability social grant to buy ingredients.
She started Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen after she witnessed a young man struggling to walk while passing her house because he had just taken medication on an empty stomach after being hungry for three days.
Her non-profit organisation feeds nearly 300 adults and 150 children a day.
The 69-year-old mother of four said she is now appealing for help from a good Samaritan as she wants to get a shipping container to convert into a shelter for abused women and children. This comes after a donor bought the organisation a piece of vacant land not far from the soup kitchen.
The former domestic worker said the organisation provides breakfast at 7am for children going to school and at 10am for adults, while they serve a meal for everyone in the afternoon.
She said now and then she gets help in terms of food donations but she does not have any funding that comes into the organisation and uses much of her own money to cover their daily expenses.
Some of their programmes include a food garden, school after-care, educare centre, sanitary towels monthly collection and activities for senior citizens.
“I built this because I saw the level of poverty back then. But now poverty levels have tripled. I have nothing but the little that I have, I must share it and make a difference. This is a home for everyone. I’m appealing to anyone who might help in building this shelter as we want to expand and have beadwork for senior citizens and women,” she said.
Asked about what keeps her going despite many challenges, she said it is seeing the smiles on faces after people receive a hearty meal they have prepared and knowing that if they had not provided that meal, that person would have gone to bed on an empty stomach.
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