Help Feed Hungry Children in South Africa

Introduction 

Water is life, and as a country with high inequality and large portions of the population living in informal settlements, the water crisis in South Africa has a bigger effect on the poorer people who rely on agriculture for an income. Our goal is to implement innovative and sustainable water solutions to schools around the country, helping to relieve them of their dependency on large amounts of water for agriculture, as well as helping to provide self-sustaining meals to students all year.

Report 

Innovative agricultural solutions use integrated organic farming systems that combine vermiculture, aquaponics and small livestock to provide higher yield with fewer resources. The system only needs 10% of the water normally used for gardening, making it possible to farm even during extreme drought. By developing this system at schools, teachers get the opportunity to use it as practical teaching material, feed their students or sell the crop produced to generate income and be self-sufficient. One full system costs $2500 to install we have managed to raise $313 dollars so far towards installing one system at a local school.

Thank you for your support

Dear Supporters,

Nomzamo is an overcrowded township where the residents have come afar to stay near the city and find work. COVID-19 meant that domestic workers, shop workers and labourers were left unemployed for over three months. With restrictions dragging out in South Africa, people became more and more desperate in their search for food. COVID is no longer the main concern, for the families who are facing immediate poverty, food insecurity and hunger.  

This month, with the thanks to the help of our supporters on the ground, we have managed to get funding to provide over 1000 hot meals per day. Whilst you have been generously donating to the field operations on the ground, the community workers have done their part to implement safe operational systems in the townships. Meet Zoleka, who we met a few years ago as she joined our women empowerment sewing project. Zoleka is a real community member and has a personal mission to help support and protect everyone. Since COVID hit the townships, Zoleka has been working non-stop to support people through running food projects in two neighbouring townships. The project is running weekly Monday to Friday and provides cooked meals and soup to community members for around 500-600 people daily in each township (1,000-1,200 people a day).  

Zoleka is joined by a team of 5 other local community members in each township and they are working hard to fundraise for this project. It currently costs 5,000 ZAR a week (that is $290) to feed 1,200 a day for 5 days! 

As a direct result of your donations we were able to continue on these efforts even as lockdown has been lifted. Whilst schools are yet again fully operational, it is not possible for many people living with several generations under one roof to be able to send their children to school with the risk of bringing the virus back home. This means that the children do not only lose out on their education, but do not receive their daily hot meal provided by the school. This has become one of Zoleka’s main beneficiaries as the number of infections slowly decline and we get a step closer to finding a vaccine. 

It is with your continued support that we can make an impactful and long-lasting change in the community by tackling the crucial issue of drought. We are grateful for your generosity and it goes without saying that the GVI Trust and all its donors play a vital and essential role in making a sustainable and impacting difference to the lives in Zimbabwe, and the environment which we call home.

Your choice to support what we do in the field daily not only provides financial assistance to the projects but helps to bring hope to the community. We look forward to welcoming new and existing donors to join us on this remarkable journey.

With Gratitude,

Africa Food Security