While running a soup kitchen for the elderly from a church in Chesterville, with minimal resources takes its toll on 75-year-old Virginia Nzama, she was elated when she was informed that she was one of 20 Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) who will receive social assistance from eThekwini Municipality in the spirit of the late iconic statesman Nelson Mandela.
Nzama said when asked to submit a wish list by the Municipality all she asked for was food parcels.
“We run the soup kitchen from a church because we don’t have enough money to hire a venue, and for the past five years we have had to turn away a lot of hungry people because our financial resources only allow us to open on Mondays and Wednesdays,” she said.
Nzama and 19 other NPOs met with Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo and The Pavilion Shopping Centre Management at City Hall today, 16/07/2014, where the mall’s tenants pledged their commitment in assisting the NPOs as a way of giving back to those in need.
Today’s event is part of a series of activities planned by the Municipality as a build-up to Mandela Day on Friday, 18/07/2014.
Nxumalo said Mandela had spent his whole life fighting for the freedom of South Africa during apartheid.
“He fought hard so that we one day be able to help our fellow South Africans. In comparison to what he did for us, this is the least we could do,” he said.
Nxumalo said assisting the NPOs in honour of the late struggle icon was only the beginning of great things, as he would try and get all the malls in the City to come on board in future.
“Today we start with our 20 NPOs as a symbolism of our 20 years of freedom, one day we will be able to help all the NPOs in our City,” he said.
The Pavilion’s marketing manager Andile Rapiya, who attended the event with Woolworths’ Pavilion Branch manager Justice Langa, said a number of the Shopping Centre’s tenants had been eager to come on board and work with the Municipality to address the needs of the NPOs.
“We want to assure all the NPOs here that even if we don’t reach your area by Friday, we will be working very hard to make your wish list come true,” she said.
