Ikamva Labantu works throughout Cape Town’s township communities towards a more just society where human rights can be fully actualised. Ikamva’s work focuses on early childhood development, the wellbeing of older persons and afterschool initiatives that keep children safe and off the streets.
Since the beginning of lockdown, Ikamva Labantu has been able to activate our transport systems, staff and broad community reach, to create an effective emergency response.
Ikamva Labantu’s established programmes are currently suspended but the organisation is implementing a massive operation on the ground reaching over 120 000 people through its various initiatives.
The organisation is responding to the Covid-19 crisis by delivering relief food packages, hygiene packs and health promotion material to the following groups:
Picture: Sydelle Willow Smith
- Food delivered to 190 unregistered preschools in Khayelitsha to support families of 7 020 preschool children.
- Food delivered to 975 preschool staff from unregistered preschools in Khayelitsha who have temporarily lost their income.
- Food delivered to 29 after-school clubs reaching over 1100 families of the child-age children who attended these clubs. These after-school clubs are located in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Langa, Gugulethu, Westbank, Delft and Philippi.
- Food delivered to the homes of 74 children who regularly attended the model Kwakhanya preschool in Khayelitsha
- Fortnightly provision of home-delivered food parcels to 1 200 senior citizens (including personal calls from Ikamva staff and health guidance where necessary)
- 1 500 food parcels delivered from psycho-social team along with remote counselling and guidance
- Distribution of prepared meals for Ladles of Love (feeding 500 people per day, 6 days per week)
- Ensuring the continued employment of 125 permanent staff members
Picture: Sydelle Willow Smith
In addition to delivering food to the groups above, Ikamva Labantu has partnered with staff, programme participants and community leaders to support 130 neighbourhood feeding groups who are cooking and preparing food daily. The groups are located in Cape Town, Johannesburg and two rural areas (Ashton and Cradock). They estimate that each site can provide food for an average of 250 people per site.
On Mandela Day, Ikamva Labantu will be live streaming a 30-minute conversation on Facebook and YouTube Live. The event will be hosted by Cape Talk radio host Africa Melane and will be a unique one-on-one conversation with Ikamva Labantu’s founder Helen Lieberman.
The theme is “Every day should be a Mandela Day” and the talk will cover Helen Lieberman’s three hour once in a life time meeting with Nelson Mandela, the power of embracing humanity, Ikamva Labantu’s community based approach and the urgent hunger situation due to Covid-19.
“Every day we need to respectfully honour the people around us, and every day should be a Mandela Day”, says Helen Lieberman.
To contribute to Ikamva Labantu’s emergency relief programme, please visit the website www.ikamva.org/donate