Naledi residents come together for Morning Blueprint soup kitchen

To build stronger community relationships and support residents facing food insecurity, the Morning Blueprint held a soup kitchen for residents of Naledi on September 24.

The initiative brought community members together by providing meals to those in need, while also creating an opportunity for residents to enjoy indigenous games and compete for bragging rights.

Co-founder of the Morning Blueprint, Andile Ngubeni, said their foundation has been hosting feeding schemes in different areas around Jabavu.

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She said the initiative primarily targets young children, including school-going children and those living in the community. While the foundation previously focused its efforts on schools, it has now expanded its work into communities to engage more children and help keep them off the streets.

“The main thing we want to achieve is to give children a good upbringing and support those who cannot afford a meal, so that they can feel included and equal. We don’t want our initiative to be limited to just a few areas; we want to take it across Soweto and, eventually, the whole of Gauteng,” she said.

Ngubeni further thanked all the stakeholders who supported the Morning Blueprint’s vision and contributed to the initiative, as well as the community members who welcomed them and shared meals with them.

Urban News spoke to Morning Blueprint partner Zola Social Hub, a group of men working to address issues affecting Soweto communities.

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Zola Social Hub member Thando Matai said partnering with the Morning Blueprint was a meaningful initiative, highlighting the organisation’s role in tackling poverty in the community.

“Being part of this initiative is very meaningful to us. We understand that families are not in the same financial position, and there are children who go without food.

“By coming together through initiatives like this, we can make a difference in their lives, play our part in fighting poverty and support other organisations in creating a stronger and more united community,” he said.

Naledi resident Mpumi Mfene said the feeding scheme was a great initiative that provided much-needed support to the community.

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“Morning Blueprint is very helpful to the community. At least now, someone out there has had a meal for the day. This is helping a lot of people and making a huge difference in their lives. We really hope they continue with this initiative and don’t end it here today,” she said.