THE SYMBOLIC 67 Mandela minutes which many practice once a year is a daily occurrence for a charity organisation which supports needy causes in the community.
The Sandton-based branch of the international Hare Krishna movement operates the Feed SA programme which provides meals to 7 000 poor and destitute people at old age homes, in their homes every week, and also at schools and other community agencies.
Recently they fed 10 000 school children at Dr Knack, Ithute, Bovet, Zenzeleni, Pholosho, Emfundisweni primary and Minerva secondary schools. Their meals of briyani (rice) and vegetables complements the school feeding programme which the provincial government recently announced could soon be provided even on weekends and also school holidays.
Jayananda Das, co-ordinator of the movement, said feeding was a daily Mandela moment for them as eating is vital for all people, and those with the means should help the poor every day to sustain life and to restore their dignity by stopping them from begging. The feeding, which was also conducted simultaneously in Lenasia, Soweto and Midrand, is part of the movement’s international commitment to support poor families worldwide and in the country. They have now started elsewhere in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
“The programme is very costly, but [is] a priceless endeavour which relies on contributions from our members and donations, with more still needed in order to extend the benefit to thousands more needy people,” said Das.
Only one of the schools has rejected the food. The principal of Ikage Primary School, Nkosinathi Msweni, said the parents had expressed concern that the food came prepared. “We are still exploring a mutually agreeable way of accepting the support,” he said.
