Afrika Tikkun (AT) has been able to feed over 23,600 vulnerable families in their communities with support from the Solidarity Fund (SF). SF was created to help South African communities through the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of health and humanitarian efforts. Through the Fund, organisations, companies, and individuals can now support these continued efforts from anywhere in the country.

AT was one of only four organisations selected for substantial grant funding from SF. The fund has allowed AT to implement the Neighbour to Neighbour Support Programme (N2NSP), which allows them mobilise a community-level response to Covid-19 in the areas in which they operate by becoming food distribution centres whilst they are forced to stop business-as-usual operations due to the national lockdown.

The incoming Chief Executive Officer of AT, Alef Meulenberg, stated, ‘Supplying food and essentials to the most vulnerable in our communities is not a sustainable solution, but it is absolutely crucial right now as we all navigate an uncertain future. We have gained enormous support from the likes of [SF] to kick-start the programme, but with possible lockdown extensions still in play we need all the help we can get to continue this beneficial work’.

Meulenberg thanked SF and other donor organisations, saying, ‘We could not have achieved this without the help of incredible affiliates such as the [SF], Cans with Purpose, KFC Adds Hope, SA Harvest, Pick ‘n Pay Feed the Nation, as well as donations from the general public’.

He called on all the citizens to help the initiative as no one knows when restrictions would be lifted. ‘With this in mind, we need to continue with the work we are doing and for that to happen we will need support throughout this crisis’, he said.

Source: SA GoodNews

Photo source: Ewan Munro