More than 500 children have again received food aid in an ongoing scheme which seeks to cushion pre-school learners from the effects of the covid-19 and South Africa’s extended lock-down.
Matchbox handed over 500 food parcels to the same community two weeks ago and the NPO intends to continue with the donations twice every month.
“To support 475 children in the four Matchbox-affiliated Early Childhood Development Centres, we decided to raise funding to provide the food parcels for kids and their families,” Matchbox’s Project Manager Verena Grips told AllnetAfrica.
“The Matchbox team on the ground has distributed over 500 food parcels to the children of our four daycare centers and their families. These parcels will nurture them for a whole week, which makes up to 14 000 meals,” Verena said and launched a plea for more donations in support of the the collective vision to provide three million meals by year-end.
Matchbox forms part of the TOGETHER FOR CAPETOWN network, a platform which was created to raise funds for an EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAM in response to the humanitarian crisis.
In partnership with international partners, Matchbox is spearheading the mobilisation and distribution food parcels to children and their families in Cape Town’s under-resourced townships.
Matchbox is involved in early childhood development programs and has gone a step further by converting shipping containers into mobile, robust and fire-proof shelters used at all its affiliated pre-schools doted all over Mfuleni Township.
A set of these ‘matchbox containers’ provide all necessities for a childcare facility and can be extended over time, or relocated if required. The design of the containers complies with regulations and is adapted to children’s needs.
Matchbox has urged the community to be responsible and stay healthy (on a larger scale this can be adapted to a general perspective on life: take responsibility for your own life, take intelligent decisions, stay focused and optimistic, create a positive environment for yourself and others and live a healthy life in terms of personal wellbeing, health, but also socially, financially, family, friendship, etc. — all in all, live with integrity).
