Every six weeks, Salaam Foundation delivers 10 000 meat and veggies packs to families around Gauteng. The meat packs supplanted by healthy organic vegetables are delivered to various communities helping to fight the huge issue of food insecurity. Around eleven communities receive the packs and 15 areas are visited for home deliveries. We are going to be introducing some of these communities and the impact these packs have.
This week the focus is Zakariyya Park.
Zakariyya Park is an area near Lenasia that formed around Darul Uloom Zakariyya. The Islamic institution which started in 1983 was followed by the formation of a suburb which was named in its honor (Zakariyya Park).
Apa Shaida is the person in charge of the distributions. She has been working with Salaam Foundation for around three and a half years, receiving meat parcels which she distributes to people in need. Along with the meat parcels that Apa Shaida receives from Salaam Foundation, she also distributes groceries which she receives from other sponsors. The total number of people Apa Shaida works with it is around 350. Salaam Foundation donates one hundred meat parcels for the distributions that take place in Zakariyya Park, Lenasia South, Eldorado Park, Vlakfontein and surrounding areas. As there are more people than there are parcels, the distributions work on a rotation basis depending on the person’s needs. The people receive the meat parcels depending on their situation. As is the case with the other distributions and sustainability projects, the amount of people who receive the parcels is a certain amount, for example 100 meat parcels. However, the project has a greater impact because one meat parcel might be used to feed up to six people at a time – depending on the size of the family who is receiving the parcel of meat and vegetables and groceries.
The distributions work in two ways. Some of the people come to the apa’s house in Zakariyya Park to pick up their allocations for the month. However, there are many who are unable to come to the apa’s house to pick up their allocations so Apa Shaida’s son does monthly deliveries to the different areas for the people who are unable to go and pick it up. These food distributions which take place assist go a long way in alleviating a massive need facing the affected communities with regard to hunger and food insecurity.
Apa Shaida actually started the work after the death of her husband who had been heavily involved in assisting communities and people in need. She continued his work of distributing groceries which she received from various sponsors. This has been taking place for around eleven years.
She started working with Salaam Foundation after finding out about their meat distributions in different areas. Apa Shaida joined the list and started receiving the meat parcels which she distributed to the people on her list.
She said when she first started giving people the meat parcels, it was like she was giving them gold. She said,“Then there was one lady who sent me a picture of her cooking the meat and she said you made a house or home. My children haven’t had meat for a long time.” Apa Shaida said she’s realised that she doesn’t know what goes on out there and what people’s situations are.
Every month, she says the people on her list are always waiting to receive their monthly supplies. Along with the meat parcels which are delivered every six weeks, Salaam Foundation also supplements this with any excess fresh produce which is produced at the Farm on the Vaal project.
You can support this work by donating:
Salaam Foundation
FNB 6266 914 7665
Branch 250 737
Ref: South Africa + your name (zakat/lillah/sadaqa)
Section 18a certificates available on request
Fatima@salaamfoundation.com
