Feeding the city's poor daily
Sive Zuzile
YUSUF Lorgat, the winner of The Herald GM Citizen of the Year 2012 and public relations officer at AL Fidaa Foundation, hosted a lunch in December for its 110 volunteers.
Speaking at the Livingstone hall, Lorgat said the lunch was a simple thank you to the volunteers.
"With 55 soup kitchens – 18 based within the community, 16 in clinics and hospitals, six at orphanages, 12 based at schools and three at Madressa – our volunteers are always feeding the needy every day of the year," Lorgat said.
Eunice Zingela, who has been running her soup kitchen, Noxolo Care Centre, since 1997, said AL Fidaa Foundation has been instrumental in her soup kitchen's survival in recent years.
"They have been providing instant soup powder, mealie meal and samp to us since 2010.
"They never refused even for one day to assist us – these are the kind of people they are," Zingela said. She added although they were short of two burner stoves they knew they would be assisted.
The founder of Masilakhe Women Association for Poverty Alleviation and HIV/Aids, Zoleka Ngqolombe, said the foundation was always prepared to help poor communities.
"We met Yusuf earlier this year and told him of our problems, he accepted us with open arms as we mentioned that we cater for patients with chronic illnesses such as TB and Aids. He has provided food to last a month," Ngqolombe said.
Helenvale soup kitchen founder Elizabeth Docter said she was getting good assistance from AL Fidaa.
Docter receives 12 loaves of bread and 25kg soup powder for the soup kitchen every day.
"I am 72 years old and I have been running the soup kitchen for six years out of my own pocket but then they [AL Fidaa] have been very good to me as I feed six soup kitchens, with numbers ranging from 150 to 300 children a day."