UK volunteers team up with the Al-Imdaad Foundation to reach out in KZN
They had fundraised in the UK for projects in South Africa and began implementing their projects on January 14, 2019
Submitted by the Al-Imdaad Foundation
A volunteer delegation from the United Kingdom (UK) has been in South Africa for humanitarian activities with the Al-Imdaad Foundation.
ALSO READ: Al-Imdaad Foundation teams respond to Indonesian earthquake
Activities have included public feeding, distributions of stationery and hygiene packs at schools, and handing over a borehole, which was inaugurated with acting KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier, Sihle Zikalala.
The delegation included members of Al-Imdaad Foundation’s UK office and volunteers from an organisation known as Food for Thought, that has been providing weekly meals to the homeless in the UK since 2014. Describing their activities, the Food for Thought founder Shameema Patel said:
“Every Sunday morning we provide hot meals to anybody in our community who needs it. We come from the UK, but we still do have a lot of poverty and families go without food, which is really unfortunate.”
Al-Imdaad Foundation UK Country Director, Abdusamad Moola, described the Food for Thought – mission in this way “they have been giving free food and supporting families in the UK and now they have come to South Africa to make a difference as well.”
The volunteers come from all walks of life and describe themselves as, “two Chefs, a Health Promotion Leader, a Post Office Manager, an Occupational Therapist, a Mental Health Support Worker, a Sales Manager and our youngest volunteer, three-year-old Eesa.”
They had fundraised in the UK for projects in South Africa and began implementing their projects on January 14, 2019. The volunteers started their mission in the Uthukela district where they joined hands with local authorities to deliver stationery supplies, hygiene packs and feminine sanitary items to needy learners at schools in the rural Loskop area and Ladysmith.
The team also held a public feeding programme in the rural township of Roosboom before heading further north into KwaZulu-Natal. On January 16, the team took part in the official handing over of a borehole they had sponsored for Nomaphenduka Crèche in the rural Hlabisa area of the Umkhanyakude district.
NOW READ: Al-Imdaad Foundation provides relief to Aleppo’s evacuees
They were joined for the official ribbon cutting by KZN Acting Premier, Sihle Zikalala as part of efforts at “Working together to make KwaZulu-Natal a better place for all.”
Al-Imdaad Foundation’s Special Projects Co-ordinator, Abed Karrim oversaw the UK delegation’s programme. He explained that the location for the borehole was chosen in consultation with local authorities through the KZN government’s poverty eradication programme.
READ THIS: Al-Imdaad Foundation responds to Western Cape storms and fires
During the handover, founder of Food for Thought, Mrs Patel, made a commitment to fund raise for another borehole, which was very well-received by the community.
The activities of these volunteers are just one example of how Al-Imdaad Foundation’s UK office is supporting projects locally by allowing UK donors to make a difference for the needy people of society.
For more information about these activities or the Al-Imdaad Foundation’s other activities to benefit needy communities locally please call 0861786243 or visit www.alimdaad.com
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter
