Gift of Givers to the rescue as floods, lockdown, wreak havoc in Western Cape
|Published
Gift of the Givers has aided several areas in the Western Cape.
THE non-profit organisation Gift of the Givers has come to the rescue of several areas in the Western Cape, after floods, the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown have left a trail of despair for communities.
The organisation’s founder Imtiaz Sooliman says they have been inundated with calls since Sunday morning, with communities desperate for assistance.
He said calls were pouring in from areas such as Mbekweni in Paarl, Sir Lowry's Pass, Langa, Lwandle, Mitchell's Plain, Khayelitsha, Hout Bay, Dunoon, Gugulethu, Phillipi and at least 25 other areas, where over 5500 households had been displaced, he said.
Said Sooliman: “It doesn't rain but it pours, five days of continuous rain in the Western Cape has caused mayhem.
“Gift of the Givers teams are flooded with calls from 2am since Sunday as desperate communities are confined to their dwellings, the contents and possessions soaked, food purchased a day previously totally destroyed. They are hungry and cold.
“Rain from the top and flooding on the surface from blocked drains, as many homes are built on servitudes, compounds the misery.
“Relocation to the relative comfort of a community hall, school classroom or religious site is not an option. Everyone, including little babies, have to endure the ignominy of a drenched environment, brought on by challenges of the Delta variant, the third wave and lockdown level 4,” said Sooliman.
He said some assistance in the form of blankets had been provided by companies including Ford, webuycars.co.za, Engen, Shoprite/Checkers (Act for Change) and Massmart, but more assistance was still required for the desperate communities.
“Corporate food contributions in bulk are welcome,” he said.
Those willing to support these initiatives financially can deposit into:
Gift of the Givers
Standard Bank, Pietermaritzburg
Bank account number 052137228
Branch Code 057525
Reference: WC
* For tax-deductible PBO certificates please send deposit slip to [email protected].
He said Gift of the Givers was busy giving out hot meals, blankets, masks and sanitisers to the affected communities. Distributing food parcels, mattresses, clothing and hygiene was a futile exercise at the moment as the weather was bad, he said.
IOL