The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa in conjunction with IHH, the Turkish international humanitarian agency, distributed 1500 hampers to the needy and destitute residents of four towns of the Northern Cape recently.

 

The first distribution of food parcels took place at Ritchie, a town situated 47km outside the city of Kimberley, on Saturday 24 October 2020, where 150 senior citizens were the recipients.

 

On the same day, a farther 127km from Ritchie and on the edge of the Great Karoo, 400 residents of a newly-established informal settlements of Hopetown were also each given a hamper. Ms Brenda Mpemba, the mayor of Thembelihle Local Municipality in which Hopetown is located, had identified the recipients who accepted the hampers on behalf of their respective families.

 

On Sunday, 25 October 2020, the distribution of food parcels continued 264km from Kimberley, at De Aar where a hundred senior citizens drawn from the Malay Camp and Barcelona were beneficiaries when they gathered at the town’s Sunrise Police Station.

 

A final distribution exercise took place later on the same day at Britstown where Councillor Lucy Billy assisted by other local leaders had identified 850 members of the community to be recipients of the food parcels.

 

Each one of the parcels comprised of 10kg of corn-flour, a 12-can pack of tinned food and a hygiene packet of soap and sanitary towels. JUSA would like to thank IHH for their contribution of 722 hampers as well as local donors who through their generosity made this project possible by complementing the foodstuffs.

 

The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa also expresses gratitude towards the volunteers of Kimberley-based Bright Future Foundation who partnered with JUSA in coordinating the distribution exercise.

 

A team of five volunteers from Johannesburg braved temperatures in excess of 40 degrees in the Northern Cape, in order to make this project a reality.

 

An appeal for assistance had come from these regions of the Northern Cape during the height of the Covid-19 Lockdown period. The needs remain dire in the towns where extreme weather conditions and lack of economic opportunities make living conditions very hard for the overwhelming majority of the citizens.

 

The Gauteng Department of Social Development recognised JUSA as one of service providers distributing thousands of food parcels to citizens under the Covid-19 Lockdown. Other initiatives included catering for the homeless in designated shelters and daily delivery of prepared meals and iftaar to hundreds of recipients.

 

We pray for ease and handsome recompense from the Almighty for all those who are reaching out to communities in these times of economic hardship. Aameen.