The ongoing work of Philippi community activist Mondeka Mabibini is slowly getting repaid as people with good intentions are opening up their hearts and pockets to many causes that she campaigns for.
Ms Mabibini whose organisation Uphawu Community Development (UCD) has in the past run campaigns like No More Bare Feet through which she was collecting shoes for underprivileged school children, has now shifted to No To Hunger, a food relief programme.
“Due to the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic we started seeing many people were going to sleep with empty stomachs because some had been laid off at work and others were already in the unemployment line long before,” she said.
They have collected more than 500 food parcels and are running a soup kitchen since the lockdown was announced in March.
Last week Ms Mabibini brought in Waterfront-based Pure Good Restaurant chief executive officer Shannon Ruth Bauer, who partnered with Wonderbag SA to donate 40 bags to the women in Philippi, Kosovo and Samora.
“These bags are very useful in cooking food and they were well received,” said Ms Mabibini.
Ms Bauer also donates litres of soup to UCD that feeds more 300 people weekly.
To augment the wonderbags gift, Tudzi South Africa donated 40 food parcels while Philippi Economic Development Initiative and The Umbrella Foundation provided support for the lunch.
The food was cooked and served by men of Ubuntubethu NPO in Samora.
Ubuntubethu’s Sive Mcunukulewa said this was their token of appreciation for Ms Mabibini’s work and that of women in general.
“We appreciate our mothers because they are dealing with a lot of troubles, especially caused by us men,” Mr Mcunukulewa said.
If you would like to help UCD, follow Uphawu Community Development on Facebook, send a WhatsApp message to 073 742 4861 or an email to mondekam@gmail.com
