Hunger shut out as senior residents open the Tswelopele soup kitchen to everyone
The Ageing with Wisdom Elderly Forum stepped up recently, opening their Tswelopele soup kitchen to everyone with an empty stomach in Alexandra.
Residents in Alexandra have a reason to feel a bit lighter. The Ageing with Wisdom Elderly Forum launched its Tswelopele soup kitchen on July 7, and it is already making a difference.
While it initially started as a way to ensure elderly people wait for their old age grant with a full stomach every month, the kitchen is now opening up to everyone – children, parents, and whoever needs a meal.
The forum’s Shirly Zulu said it was necessary to launch the kitchen to ensure that most people, who don’t always have meals, are at least catered for, so that they can at least have three meals a week.
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She painted a clear picture of the circumstances many families are grappling with.
“Sometimes the parents are not working and do not have enough. You might find that both the father and mother wait until they get grants, especially the elderly, and there are no jobs. Our children are not getting jobs.”
She said that is why they decided to stretch the kitchen wider. No age limits and no turning anyone away.
When they told the community they were starting this, Zulu said the excitement was real, especially among people who are tired of empty plates at home and long days of empty stomachs.
Moses Maimela, the forum’s chairperson, said the high turnout of community members on Tuesday, indicated that the demand is high, and that they need to keep the soup kitchen going regularly.
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He said three days a week is the plan, and they intend to stick to it, provided they receive enough support.
Sally Mangena, who is among those who helped prepare the meals, reflected on the feeling they got the night before.
“We got so excited. We put everything else aside and told ourselves that we are going out to help our own community.”
The group is not pretending to have it all figured out. Resources are tight, so they are asking neighbours who can help to chip in with a bag of vegetables or a monetary contribution towards ingredients.
Zulu said every bit counts. She added that Tswelopele reminds people that they have not been forgotten. It offers a warm meal, a friendly face, and the feeling that somebody cares.
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