The clock was ticking. There were less than 12 hours to go before South Africa went into full lockdown.
A group of volunteers from multiple churches and NGOs in Stellenbosch (and across South Africa, we can safely assume!) were braving the endless queues in grocery stores to buy supplies for vulnerable families. Another team was working from a home garage in town to meticulously put together parcels with critical supplies, sanitising the items, numbering boxes and grouping them according to their various destinations.
Then there were the drivers who were taking turns to deliver the parcels to multiple drop-off points – and this continued until well into the night. Multiple donors, multiple organisations, multiple beneficiaries mobilised. Volunteers from different churches and NGOs, some meeting for the first time, sprang into action. Collaboration like we’ve never seen it happen before.
The last parcels were delivered to the homes of vulnerable families with just over an hour to spare before the clock struck twelve.
Ranyaka had the privilege to work with this group of volunteers in Stellenbosch who not only delivered hundreds of parcels to their beneficiaries, but also made it possible for us to play a part.
Proud of My Town in action
Thanks to Nedbank‘s Proud of my Town fund in Stellenbosch, Ranyaka could deliver food parcels for 75 families – and this incredible team (many of whom we had never met before) were the ones who, at extremely short notice, tackled the shopping, sorting, sterilising and packing.
A BIG thank you to members from the following churches: All Peoples, One Hope, Cedars, Shofar and Shammah, as well as volunteers from Her Voice. Thank you to our personal Ranyaka friends and family members who came to lend a helping hand at short notice.
How to get involved – Stellenbosch food relief
The clock is ticking yet again. The cupboards are bare. The need is great – and every single contribution helps.
To get involved, please contact us at admin@ranyaka.co.za. Ranyaka is working with Visit Stellenbosch, the Stellenbosch Municipality and multiple other organisations under the umbrella of the Stellenbosch Unite movement – an initiative to get food to hungry families during lockdown and beyond. Scroll through the images below for the information flyer. We will also post this in the comment section.
Thank you, Stellenbosch!