Nkowankowa businessman runs food programme for poor
Local businessman Zahoor Ahmed’s free food initiative in Nkowankowa turns his past struggles with poverty into hope for the hungry.
LIMPOPO – At Slaba Supermarket near Bendzulani in Nkowankowa, Zahoor Ahmed is feeding his community through a food programme inspired by his own struggles with poverty and hunger.
“I grew up in a very poor family,” he recalled. “We lived in a mud house, my father was a landless farmer, and I often walked home from school with hunger pains. I promised myself that one day I would help others so they would not suffer the same way.”
After moving to South Africa and starting a business, Ahmed never turned away anyone who came into his shop hungry. That small act has grown into a community kitchen, where food is served four days a week with plans to expand to all seven.
“When I see people eating and smiling, it gives me strength to do more,” he said. Families in need, schoolchildren, and passersby now rely on his initiative, which Ahmed funds from his own pocket.
He hopes to one day provide uniforms, shoes, and even homes for struggling families. More importantly, he wants other business owners to follow his example.
“If everyone with resources helped their community, one day nobody in South Africa would go to bed hungry,” he said.
