Soup kitchen struggles to make ends meet
A Mfuleni businesswoman who has been feeding senior citizens says she needs help to keep the soup kitchen going.
Since last year, Nobukhosi Masilo, known as Mams, has been providing hot meals to her neighbours and others from as far as Khayelitsha out of her own pocket.
With the help of a few volunteers, she cooks the food in her home and then distributes the meals to hundreds of hungry people in the community hall opposite her house.
Ms Masilo said the biggest needs of the soup kitchen are ingredients as well as operational costs like gas, electricity, airtime, and cleaning products.
She said she will have to stop the soup kitchen if she doesn’t find financial assistance.
“People have been advising me to register so that the government can also assist but that will take time. I know of the red tape. People are hungry and most of them are unemployed but have families to feed. That is why I felt I cannot sit by while people are in dire need of food. This food also feeds neighbouring communities. And the need grows everyday,” said Ms Masilo.
When Vukani visited her at the community hall, a handful of residents were waiting for food with others joining the queue later.
“This is what I have to do maybe thrice a week. I want to help my community but it is getting harder to do now because it is all out of my pocket. In this area most people are unemployed. But what shocks me is that on some days I get people from Khayelitsha. That alone shows that people are hungry and are telling each other about me. That put more pressure on me to continue. But reality will sink in at some point and I will have to stop. I also rely on my husband to put something in and he does it with a pure heart,” she said.
Community leaders Nkokheli Ngcambele, Mandisi Klaas and Samora Sipika were touched to hear her story. The leaders said the high unemployment rate in the area is alarming.
Resident Vayi Mputhumi applauded her for using her own money to feed the needy. “She is doing an amazing job. It would be a good idea to formalise this and register it. I wish she could get a sponsor. Poverty has driven not only kids to crime but the old too. Some of the parents resort to alcohol because of poverty,” he said.
To help Ms Masilo, call her on 074 495 7835.
