Ikemeleng Foundation sees Diepsloot fed through community kitchen and veggie garden

The community of Diepsloot is benefitting from a community kitchen now supported by a vegetable garden.

The youth-led Ikemeleng Foundation is responding to impoverishment in the area in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus and nationwide lockdown.

“We found that there are a lot of impoverished people in Diepsloot and in the midst of this global crisis, supporting one another and caring for those in need is crucial,” the non-profit organisation said in a statement.

“Our aim is to help the most vulnerable members of our community gain access to basic needs and services. One of these needs is food security and that is why we started the Batho Community Kitchen as our first project.”

This began in June last year and has helped the organisation feed 500 people every day, Monday to Friday. A team of 20 volunteers give their time and energy to this and they are grateful for the contributions from the community.

Ikemeleng Foundation also started a vegetable garden project in November which will help sustain the soup kitchen. Already, some of its produce is being used to support the community.

“It is our aim not just to depend on others for support but to become a self-sufficient and sustaining movement for chance and change,” the statement continued.

“The land for gardening was generously supplied by Water Amenities Sanitation Services Upgrading Program, a team of community plumbers.”