Giving food to unemployed, homeless people and street children is now being doubted by the very same people gaining from it.
The Advertiser visited the East Rand Children’s Fund in Geduld to see if the allegations against the owner of the Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) are true.
Linda Kleynhans went to Sarie Olivier, owner of the NPO last Tuesday to get food.
She did not get a cooked meal, but instead was given six brown bread rolls.
She claims there were bags of potatoes and eggs, but Olivier said it cannot be handed out.
“My argument is why not give out food parcels to the families?” she says,” it will at least be better than six bread rolls.”
But according to Olivier they are complaining with a ‘wit brood onder die arm’.
We feed almost 1 000 people every week with the food donations we receive,” she says.
In the past food parcels were given to the people, but Olivier stopped doing that because she received numerous complaints in the past about families selling the food for cash.
Therefore, she decided to rather cook a proper meal and feed 500 people on a Tuesday and Thursday as well quite a few primary schoolchildren.
“We seldom receive large egg donations, but if I do get eggs, I will give at least six eggs to each person who comes here,” claims Olivier.
“The five or six trays of eggs are for the street children only,” she says.
She has a passion for these children and will always make sure they get food, even if it is just bread and eggs.
Paulina Ngwaenbela is responsible for the cooked meals.
She remembers how many times she had to listen to complaints.
“Why they complain I do not know, because at least we are doing our best with what we have to provide food for those who are hungry,” she says.
She remembers allegations about her taking home meat and other food which were meant for the hungry.
For most of the helpers it is difficult to go out and buy anything for themselves as they are being accused of stealing the food that isn’t theirs.
More allegations against Olivier relate to her keeping the meat (mutton) they often receive from a local butcher, for her own family.
But Paulina can vouch for that, as she says in the four years she has been working there, she has never seen the Olivier family eating mutton.
“They do not eat mutton,” she says.
She adds if they do not have meat or vegetables to cook, and they have bread rolls, bread or cakes they give that to the people.
Olivier asks the people for certified copies of identity documents (ID) for administrative records and BEE purposes, but some of the people either do not have any documentation or just refuse to give them copies.
It was when Paulina asked for an ID last year, that she was almost stabbed in the back with a knife.
Lucky for Paulina, she was warned in time and escaped the attack.
Regular visitors to the NPO Henry Booysen and Hendrik van Tonder say Paulina is the best!
“She always gives us fresh food and when she cooks, we get meat and vegetables,” says Kleinbooi Sphiwe.
Olivier claims it is sour grapes as she does not understand why the very same people she is trying to help are the ones that run to the newspaper with their complaints.
