About 1 750 Muslim families in Mitchell’s Plain families received food parcels from Muslim business owners and their families ahead of Ramadaan.
This was the fourth year the non-governmental organisation SA Muslim Federation, under the auspices of the Fashion World Group, sponsored the annual food parcel distribution.
Maulana Reezaan Sydow, co-ordinator of the Al Ansaar Charity Foundation, who is supported by the federation, said each food parcel comprised 10kg of rice, 10kg of maize meal and a 25litre drum with groceries and was valued at about R800.
He said donors and sponsors included business owners and their families from Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Between Tuesday April 6 and Thursday April 8 they distributed 5 000 parcels to 18 impoverished communities, including Delft, Belhar, Heideveld, Manenberg, Hanover Park and Mitchell’s Plain.
The foundation runs projects in these communities and have a database of people who require assistance.
The families were identified and given coupons, which they had to take to their allocated collection point.
They distributed 500 food parcels at the hall of Baitul Ansaar Child and Youth Care Centre, 250 parcels were collected from a property in Loftus Street, both in Beacon Valley; 400 parcels in Tafelsig; 100 in Eastville Heights; 150 in Rocklands; 100 in Eastridge; and 250 in The Farm, in Montrose Park.
Last week a Beacon Valley grandmother Quanita Sense walked about a kilometer to collect her food parcel.
She is a disability grant recipient, lives with her husband, who is a pensioner, and their daughter, who receives child support grants for her three children.
“It is a great help because no one works and it ensures there is something to eat in the house,” she said.
