During the first week of December 2024, the Salaam Foundation team was alerted to an urgent need for food in an informal housing structure in Bez Valley. The housing structure which consists of almost 60 informal rooms was inhabited by many families and people who were living in very dire circumstances. Many of the people living there were job-seekers and were actively seeking employment.
In the Johannesburg East community of Bez Valley, food insecurity remains a persistent issue in the low-income community. The high cost of job-seeking often means that people have to make difficult choices between trying to find a job to get an income or buying food for the day. On December 13, the Salaam Foundation team participated in a handover of meat and veggie packs. Several of the people were not available to receive the packs because they have left for the day to go and find work. The team responded to the emergency food situation for around sixty families. The families who live in the informal housing structure received the packs with the aim of helping community move towards being more food secure. The conditions of the families of elderly and the live in are dire with no proper housing and sanitation available. There had been a downpour of rain the previous day and the ground all around the housing structure was still wet and muddy.
Many of the people living there do not have employment and rely on piece jobs in order to survive from day-to-day. The food parcels are a temporary arrangement in place of a longer-lasting solution to tackle food insecurity and hunger.
In several other communities in Johannesburg, especially the Johannesburg South area, the Salaam Foundation team works on sustainable farming projects are to empower communities by providing them with the skills and resources needed to grow their own food, thus reducing dependency on external aid and fostering long-term food security. Through these initiatives, the Salaam Foundation not only addresses immediate hunger needs but also promotes sustainable agricultural practices that can lead to economic independence for vulnerable communities. Every six weeks, meat packs supplanted by healthy organic vegetables are delivered by the Salaam Foundation team to various communities around the Gauteng area. Through these deliveries, 10 000 meat and veggie meals reach families in need in every cycle.
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Salaam Foundation
FNB
6266 914 7665
Branch 250 736
Ref: SA + your name (zkt/lillah)
