Civil rights organisations establish task team for food, essential goods distribution

Civil rights organisation AfriForum has joined family farming network Saai and the Solidarity Helping Hand’s Joseph’s Silos project, to establish a task team that will collect and distribute food and essential items across the country.  

These items, including hand sanitiser and face masks, will be distributed to needy individuals, families, and institutions such as, among others, children’s homes, old-age homes, and clinics.  

The initiative will also serve to counter and prevent unrest and looting in communities, according to AfriForum’s head of community safety, Ian Cameron.  

“AfriForum will be responsible for managing the distribution from Joseph’s Silos in cooperation with Saai to ensure the items are packed and prepared by Helping Hand to reach those in need as soon as possible,” Cameron said.  

“It is, however, difficult for people like farmers who live far from these silos to drop off donations.  

“Those people who are in need of these donations also don’t necessarily have the ability to get to Joseph’s Silos.  

“That is why AfriForum and Saai decided to get involved to help alleviate the need.”  

Cameron said various points across the country, where people in need can receive food, have already been identified, as well as where people can drop off food to support this project.  

“By combining contribution and distribution abilities, our impact is that much bigger,” said Francois Rossouw, CEO of Saai. 

“Certain farmers, who currently have a surplus of food that is just going to be wasted, can now donate it to this initiative or distribute it via local structures.”  

The project added to Helping Hand’s already established structures.  

“During these difficult times, Helping Hand’s Joseph’s Silos serves as a lifebuoy for many needy people,” said René Roux, Solidarity Helping Hand spokesperson.   

“More than 70 Joseph’s Silos have already been established across the country. 

“The amount that has been received up to now, within the Joseph’s Silos project, is nearly R2 million and Helping Hand was able to already provide food to 736 families and 96 institutions such as old-age homes and children’s homes over the past two weeks.”  

Roux said, when the lockdown is lifted, the amenities will still continue with their operations for quite some time until the Covid-19 crisis time was over.   

“All precautionary measures will be instituted to ensure the safety of the public.” 

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