A non-profit has moved to dampen the threat feeding schemes face from fire and burns, especially those using open-flames to cook.
The Mitchell’s Plain Development Action Collective donated fire blankets, fire extinguishers and signage to 20 feeding schemes in the community.
The collective was borne out of a desire by former Mitchell’s Plain student activists scattered around the country who pooled resources about five months ago to aid people suffering as a result of the national Covid-19 lockdown.
MPDAC chairman Neil Cole said the donation was meant to make things safer for feeding schemes using gas to cook.
“At a later stage, we will endeavour to supply safety equipment to five other feeding schemes, supported by MPDAC.”
Mr Cole said they were supporting feeding schemes, establishing food gardens and planning a memory project.
The MPDAC supports 25 schemes feeding up to 30 000 people across Mitchell’s Plain and Strandfontein.
During the lockdown, the MPDAC established 11 household food gardens and it hopes to start more by December, and from there move to communal food gardens.
Through donations from 2030UP!, a project based on the UN’s 2030 sustainable development goals, and other programmes, the MPDAC provides seeds, compost, gardening tools and training.
The gardens are mostly managed by women who are encouraged to share knowledge with the broader community.
The idea is for the gardens to provide a variety of vegetables for households that will share their surplus produce with the feeding schemes.
Explaining the role of the memory project, Mr Cole said: “We want to record and share the exemplary contributions of past and present residents in sports, religion, culture, politics, government and many other sectors.”
For more information call MPDAC programme manager Collette Jones at 083 576 3036 or secretary Aneeka Jacobs at 083 489 9230.