In celebration of the South African National Zakah Fund’s (Sanzaf) 50th anniversary, the organisation, with the help of its partners, distributed 50 000 meals on Friday May 24.

Its Bridgetown base was a hive of activity, as partner feeding programmes, many of which receive ingredients from Sanzaf, gathered there to cook hundreds of pots of food.

From there, the food was transported to 50 communities in the Western Cape.

Sanzaf’s spokesperson, Munsoor Rawoot, said earlier that the anniversary celebrations were not only about looking back but building on the strong foundation it has.

“Sanzaf's 50th anniversary is not just a celebration of the past, it's a commitment to building a brighter future for the organisation and the communities it serves. Over five decades, Sanzaf has touched the lives of countless individuals, and as we embark on the next chapter, we are dedicated to expanding our impact and creating lasting change,” he said.

Shafiek Barendse, the Western Cape regional manager, said the anniversary was a celebration of service to humanity.

“We have been serving the most vulnerable in our communities. In 1974, it started out with cooking one pot of food. Today we distribute more than 7 000 meals in a month. Every year we offer an opportunity for our partner feeding schemes to come together and cook. Usually they would do it from their homes or mosques.

“Sanzaf supports many of the feeding programmes with ingredients, but sometimes, the challenge is that they have the ingredients but then do not have gas or electricity to cook. The partnerships we have with other organisations or institutions allow us to get to the communities who need it most. We have a limited number of staff and our partner organisations know their communities and where the needs are. We can’t operate without them,” Mr Barendse said.

Shanaaz Simpson runs a feeding scheme in Tafelsig. Her organisation feeds about 450 people a day. On Friday, they cooked three 100-litre pots of food at Sanzaf in Bridgetown, which was later distributed in her community. Ms Simpson thanked Sanzaf for their support.

Thuraya Kamldien, Aisa Meyer, Rehana Green and Faeza Govind were among the volunteers who helped to cook the food.

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Sanzaf makes a meal of 50th anniversary