The Prophet (P.BU.H) once said:
“Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.”
And in these times of calamity, giving charity is of the utmost importance as it’s needed now more than ever to provide for those who cannot provide for themselves.
With the global pandemic, communities in South Africa were without a means of income during national lockdowns. Leading to families without food and provisions. 2020 has been extremely challenging and uncertain for us all. Its impact is felt most by people who live day-to-day on their paychecks. The plight of the less fortunate has been amplified and many have answered this call to action.
We appeal to our supporters to donate any ingredients, meals, cooking equipment to our feeding scheme initiative.
This will help us feed more families in Tafelsig and make an impact on an otherwise forgotten community.
We welcome any partnerships and sponsors to assist with this endeavor.
Why Tafelsig?
Tafelsig had become the epicenter of social unrest and tension as a result of no food and income. The AMLC identified the need to address this during pre-Ramadaan and started with single pot of food, with the goal to provide 20,000+ meals over a 35-day period.
We initially identified 100 needy households with an average of 5 people per family in Tafelsig to feed. By the will of Allah, the scheme kicked off on April 22nd 2020 until May 26th, aiming to feed 500-600 people a day.
The community of AMLC came together to sponsor a variety of meals; soup, sandwiches, noodles, and hot meals on alternating days for 5 weeks. Through the generosity of donations, Alghamdulilah we were able to feed up to 2000 people by the end of the initial period of the scheme. This spurred the Trustees to spread the barakah for a sponsored Eid Day feeding scheme.
With the Niyaah to feed 5000 people on Eid, the AMLC received an abundance of sponsorships and donations that enabled us to scale that number up to 6500. May all those that have participated in making the Eid feeding scheme possible, no matter how big or small, be richly rewarded in this world and the next IA.
Feeding Scheme in 2021
To date, the feeding scheme is still in action, feeding around 500 people a day. During Ramadaan 2021, we continued to provide hot meals and food, scaling up what we have done last year. For the last 10 days of Ramadaan, we embarked on feeding 2000 people on every odd night. This allowed us to scale up even more by feeding 5000 people on Laylatul Qadr.
In order for us to do this, we appeal to those who are able to donate food, ingredients, cooking equipment, time or funds. On Eid day, we intend to feed 10 000 people Insha Allah. By the mercy and will of Allah, this large task is ahead of us and we would greatly appreciate any assistance. As of mid-May 2021, over 100 000 people have been fed Alghamdulilah. Through the continued support of the larger community, our efforts have made an impact on the lives of so many.
``May Allah accept all our efforts and ease the difficulty of the less-fortunate``
This overwhelmingly positive response encouraged the AMLC team to continue the feeding scheme post-Ramadaan 3 times per week for as long as possible throughout the COVID-19 period to continue to bring relief to this impoverished community.
Strict COVID-19 restrictions are upheld at the initiative contact points at all times. One member per household was designated to collect meals from AMLC at set times between 2pm – 6pm. A 1,5m social distancing guideline is adhered to at all times. Distributors were kept safe with masks, gloves and hand sanitiser, ensuring the vulnerable community of Tafelsig was not put at risk.
We are sincerely grateful for the abundance of sponsored food items, cooking equipment, and monetary donations. Time and energy contributions made from community members, supporters and volunteers, are the real heroes of this story as they strive to make this feeding scheme a reality on the ground. Your kindness and willingness have allowed us to cater to a necessity many citizens have not been able to satisfy.
Please follow our Facebook page for regular updates and to find out how you can support us. Tafelsig families are now able to go to bed knowing that their food for the next day is accounted for, thanks to your open-heartedness.
Let’s continue to bring relief to the impoverished and heed the call to give charity when and where we can.