A joint community outreach initiative brought warmth, food, and winter clothing to residents of the Dalimpofu informal settlement through a collaboration among Black Centenary Diamond Nonprofit Company, Kganya Lesedi Foundation, and Yarona Community Foundation.

The soup kitchen programme, already established by Yarona Community Foundation, has been providing daily meals to women, children and families in the community.

The latest initiative was built on this existing work by combining food support with a winter jacket donation drive.

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Organisers said the collaboration aimed not only to provide immediate relief, but also to engage with the community, listen to their needs and explore long-term support solutions.

Each organisation contributed in different ways to the initiative. Yarona Community Foundation continues to run the daily soup kitchen, Kganya Lesedi Foundation mobilised clothing donations, and Black Centenary Diamond Nonprofit Company coordinated the partnership while also contributing jackets.

Together, the organisations said the initiative was about more than food and clothing, but also about restoring dignity, offering hope and strengthening community connections.

Black Centenary Diamond Nonprofit Company representative Yolanda Duma said Dalimpofu Informal Settlement was selected for the initiative in recognition of the challenges faced by residents, particularly women.

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“The idea was conceptualised by Black Centenary Diamond Nonprofit Company. We chose Dalimpofu Informal Settlement because we identified a need for greater support and inclusivity. Many mothers in the community wake up early every day to care for their families and face difficult circumstances with resilience,” said Duma.

“Our intention was to acknowledge their efforts and show appreciation by providing warm jackets and a soup kitchen. It was our way of saying: ‘We see you, we appreciate you, and we stand with you.”

Yarona Community Foundation said integrating the soup kitchen with the donation drive ensured a more meaningful and respectful engagement with the community.

“The soup kitchen represents more than food. It represents compassion, dignity and presence. It shows that people have not been forgotten,” the organisation said.

Kganya Lesedi Foundation and Black Centenary Diamond Nonprofit Company mobilised donations through community collections and fundraising efforts, resulting in 150 jackets collected and distributed to 78 community members. The soup kitchen also served more than 100 residents, including women, men and children.

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Additional support came from local contributors, including vegetable donations from the Swazi Inn Leadership of Street Dwellers and supplies such as beans and soup sachets from local spaza shops.

Organisers said the initiative had been well received and they plan to expand future efforts. Their next project will focus on supporting women affected by gender-based violence through dignity and clothing support programmes.

They added that despite limited resources, the initiative was made possible through strong community participation, volunteers and partnerships.

“The greatest highlight was seeing the joy and gratitude on the faces of the mothers and families we served. Watching children enjoy hot meals and mothers receive warm jackets reminded us why community work matters,” organisers said.

Looking ahead, the three organisations said they remain committed to expanding their impact through sustainable partnerships and continued community engagement.

“Our commitment is simple: wherever we work, we strive to make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the people we serve,” they said.

They also expressed appreciation to women in the community who assisted with meal preparation, firewood collection, and setting up the fire, as well as to volunteers whose efforts ensured the success of the initiative.