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Wastage of food at Soetwater raises concerns Threats of another hunger strike at the Soetwater campsite designated for foreign nationals has raised concern at Mustadafin Foundation, who has been cooking for 4000 displaced individuals for over two weeks. The Foundation is particular concerned about the women and children who have been denied access to food and medical care based on the whims of a handful of individuals, who wish to gain attention through extreme conditions. Furthermore the Foundation wishes to express its outrage, as 1300 liters of nutritious food has been dumped since Saturday. "We are trying our level best to provide healthy, tasty food that is catered to the diets of the foreign nationals. Our staff are working round the clock to serve 6500 people with food every day, twice a day. When we see so much of food going to waste because it has turned sour we are very saddened," Mustadafin director, Ghairunisa Johnstone-Adams said on Monday of the dire situation. In addition to cooking for the immigrants, Mustadafin continues to provide meals for 15 000 impoverished people in the townships and other poverty stricken areas, per day. Johnstone-Adams said. "While we understand that the situation of the victims of xenophobia is dire and to a large extent unbearable, many people in our own townships experience the same hardships each day of their lives," Johnstone-Adams said While the Foundation continues to cook for the people at Soetwater, it is hoping that the city and government finds a solution. "We cannot have so much of wastage when so many other people are starving on our doorsteps. What is more is that there are starving people who want to eat at the camp but are either threatened by a few others if they do or the plates of food gets hit out of their hands." Mustadafin is once again calling on the government and role players to solve this humanitarian and political crisis as soon as possible as basic human rights are being violated on a daily basis. Contact: Alia Limbada __________________________________ Mustadafin continues to support the victims of the Since the xenophobic attacks reached Cape Town two weeks ago, about 10 000 additional people have been affected, raising the number to about 35 000. Mustadafin Foundation is currently feeding 13 850 of the 35 000 displaced immigrants, including one of the largest refugee camps: Soetwater. The Foundation is also providing humanitarian relief in the form of clothing, blankets, baby packs and toiletries. As the crisis continues to loom over the country, with little or no hope for reintegration of immigrants into the communities, conditions at the various refugee sites are becoming more and more unbearable. Furthermore, with no idea of the future or of the futures of their children, the refugees are increasingly becoming restless, calling on the United Nations for support. Disturbing reports are emerging from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), telling of women and young children being carted off from the camps to unknown locations by unidentified people. According to a report, a pregnant woman was removed from a particular camp at 23h00 on Saturday evening and was only returned much later the next day. The SAHRC has also reported that witnesses are testifying that young children have been placed onto the backs of loading-vehicles to be transported to "child-friendlier" places, unaccompanied by parents or guardians. The fear of sexual exploitation is now as rife as the fear of xenophobia attacks themselves. After being at the camp sites and assessing the immediate needs of the victims, Mustadafin Foundation is appealing for more blankets, warm jerseys and jackets/raincoats. Funds are also greatly needed for food stuffs, as the Foundation can purchase bulk goods at a discounted price, to ensure that each victim at a specific area is well-tendered to and distributions are fair and equal. Volunteers are also welcomed for food distributions. More camps at the sites are being erected to accommodate the victims. Many of the immigrants are growing tired and weary of government services. Inside sources predict that the UN is to step in very soon. Once again, ordinary people have been displaced and stripped of their human dignity due to unfair governmental systems and once again we are appealing to ordinary people to try and right the wrongs that have taken place. We ask you to help us ease the plight of the victims of the xenophobic attacks. Help us help our African neighbours. Contact: Alia Limbada __________________________________ Floods hit Kosovo informal settlement About 1500 people in Kosovo Informal settlement were displaced yesterday (Sunday, 11 May) when heavy rains hit the area, resulting in floods. Mustadafin Foundation, in response to the disaster, has supplied the 1500 displaced people with cooked food yesterday and will be supplying brunch and supper for them today. According to the city’s Disaster Risk Management, AbuBakr Kippie, Kosovo was the worst hit area. “The people of Kosovo were affected very badly by the floods in comparison to the other informal settlements. Residents have said that they would be residing with family and friends until the flood-water subsides.” The Foundation appeals to the public for donations in cash or kind to aid the people of Kosovo. Contact: Alia Limbada __________________________________ Mustadafin up to neck in debt as food prices soar April, 11 2008; Cape Town Mustadafin Foundation, a humanitarian organization that prides itself on feeding up to 15 000 people per day, has begun to feel the crippling effects of the rising food prices. While the organization refuses to compromise on the quality of food it delivers to the impoverished townships across the Western Cape, it has begun to witness a serious decline in the donations it receives and as a result is now in debt with its suppliers. The inflation in the price of food, fuel and interest rates has caused a serious increase in poverty. In media reports on Thursday April 10th, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that rising food prices has threatened to further strain the global economy and resultantly increase the plight of the poor. According to IMF managing director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, food prices has risen by 40% on average since mid-2007 and the World Bank president, Robert Zoellick reported that in just two months the international price of rice has risen by 75%, while world-wheat prices rose 70%; corn rose 80%; and dairy prices rose a whopping 90%. Mustadafin Foundation has too witnessed these appalling price hikes in its monthly grocery bill. According to the Foundation’s Director, Ghairunisa Johnstone-Adams the food bill for the month of March was twice as much as that of February. “The rise in inflation rates has no doubt affected our feeding scheme. Our bill at the local supermarket has increased from about R50 000 in February to more than R100 000 in March, and the price of food just keeps skyrocketing.” The Foundation has 5 established feeding centres in identified impoverished townships and also provides daily meals to 22 of its pre-schools as well as assists with Disaster Relief. Together the Foundation feeds about 15 000 people per day, providing them with at least one substantial meal. The feeding centres are situated in Mitchells Plain, Khayalitsha, Delft and Nyanga. The Foundation also assists people in Heins Park and Hanover Park on a regular basis. Often the meals that beneficiaries receive at the centres are the only food they eat for the entire day. This one meal is meant to sustain families with growing children as well as suckling mothers. In lieu of the above it is impossible for the Foundation to compromise on the quality or quantity of food it provides to the destitute. According to Johnstone-Adams, Mustadafin will not even consider compromising on this. “I do not believe that we can cut down on the amount of food we provide or the amount of people we feed. These people do not cue at our centres for fun. A person will only stand in a cue for food when they absolutely have no other source of sustenance. Therefore Mustadafin cannot cut down, despite the rising costs.” As a result of the insistence to continue to deliver as it did 20 years ago, the Foundation now owes its suppliers much more than it can pay. “Because we will not cut down on our food costs we are now in debt. Our supplier has always been good to us allowing us time to pay off our bills,” Johnstone-Adams said. But as the bills go up and the donations go down, the Foundation may find itself facing debt-collectors. Appeal: Mustadafin has made an urgent appeal for help, especially in the form of non-perishable food stuffs, meat, poultry, dairy products and vegetables. Help in the form of monetary aid is also required. Contact: Alia Limbada __________________________________ Mustadafin renews its support in Delft In light of recent developments on the dire situation at Delft, Mustadafin Foundation will be cooking for the community in Symphony Way and Silversands site for the month of April. Mustadafin has been cooking 2 meals per day for 3000 evictees during March 2008. The same amount of meals will be delivered during April. Residents in Delft, Symphony walk are becoming restless as promises of a temporary home are not coming to fruition. The City of Cape Town’s rescue plan for the residents of Delft has once again been postponed, and according to Mayoral Committee Member for housing, Dan Plato, the temporary structures will only be available in May. But residents working with Mustadafin’s Disaster Team to feed about 3000 individuals have reportedly said that it is highly unlikely that they will move into houses within the next 3 months. According to Mustadafin’s Disaster coordinator, Ebrahim Smith, The Foundation has renewed its support to feed the community for a further 14 days into the month of April. In March 2008, the Foundation undertook to provide 2 cooked meals per day, 3 times a week. But according to Smith, it looks as if the Foundation would need to cook for more than just 14 days into April. “We have extended our aid in Delft to a further 14 days but by the looks of things it seems highly unlikely that these evictees will move by then.” Last week The Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC), who has been working with the Delft community since the onset of the crisis, reported that the families required urgent basic necessities in addition to the aid they are receiving from NGOs. While Mustadafin will be supplying the residents with hot meals, and other non-perishable food items, The Foundation’s supply has become low. “It is difficult when you have an on-going disaster for very long periods, like the Delft situation, because donors tend to forget about these on-going causes. In the beginning of a disaster we always get in a lot of donations but as the months go by the donations dwindle.” The Disaster Team has requested donations from the public to support Delft. The Foundation urgently requires the communities help. Death of a community helper: On Tuesday, April 1st, a resident from Delft who has been working closely with Mustadafin on the Delft crisis was killed. According to Smith who was at the scene when the body was being taken away, the helper was killed over a personal row with another resident. No further information was known about the killing. 23 March 2008 4 people have burnt to death including 2 youth in a shack fire in Gugulethu at 3am this morning. 100 shacks have been burnt to the ground displacing 500 people. Mustadafin Foundation has responded to the disaster with cooked meals and blankets. The city’s Disaster Management is still in search of a few other missing people. The cause of the fire is unknown. Mustadafin Foundation on Sunday, March 23rd responded to another fire disaster. A council house was set alight at 22H30. No one was reportedly hurt. Mustadafin’s Disaster team delivered 10 blankets and 2 emergency food packs. Contact: Alia Limbada __________________________________ 17 March 2008; Cape Town Mustadafin expresses outrage over school violence; rape In light of recent reports as well as on-hand experience of violence and drugs within the communities with which we work, The Mustadafin Foundation wishes to express its outrage at the situation in our local schools. The lack of support from the Education Department and the relevant government structures in acknowledging the results of the report and combating the epidemic provides little help. Reports that drugs, death, despair and ill discipline have made their way into our schools, making them of the worst in the world are disturbing. In March 2008 the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) released a report depicting an abysmal increase in violence in schools, including an increase in rape cases, gangsterism, drugs and gang wars. Local schools in the Western Cape are no exception. Playtime games have changed from playing ‘tag’ and ‘house-house’ in the yesteryears, to playing ‘hit me hit me’ and ‘rape me rape me’ to date. Children, in primary schools no less, have coined the terms STM, an acronym for ‘sexually transmitted marks’. This refers to marks obtained by pupils by performing sexual acts for their educators (if they can be termed as such). Sixty-six percent of the province’s schools are situated in high crime areas with 63% affected by gangsterism. Furthermore, to add gloom to an already murky picture, 650 000 primary school children in South Africa do not attend school while 40% drop out of school before grade 12. The Mustadafin Foundation hopes to enhance such unsafe communities, through its educational programmes aimed at creating a sense of independence and self-worth amongst youths, while motivating them to strive for a brighter, better future by saying: ‘You can!’ At Mustadafin, our motto is to deal with the causes and not the symptoms. Thus we believe that by instilling morals and values as well as initiating education in the early childhood years, many of the problems South African schools face to date may be eradicated. The Foundation currently runs 18 pre-schools and supports 3 others, organize literacy classes, assist with bursaries for higher education and motivate and encourage within the youth the seeking of knowledge from the cradle to the grave. We have also sent 150 youth back to school and are always ready to encourage, support and initiate educational activities in down-trodden communities. But the Western Cape Education Department have only now come on board in supporting Grade R and pre-primary centres, long after the dire need has been established. Sadly many of our pre-schools are unprotected from these unsafe environments. Often our pre-schools learners are either victims of abuse or have been subjected to abuse in some form or another. Many of our pre-schools are periodically broken into and left bare during vacations. While Mustadafin’s educare givers try their utmost to create a colourful, fun and knowledge-driven environment for the pre-primers, the loss of expensive equipment and furniture, along with the reality of helping delinquent learners, are sometimes overwhelming. Just on Monday the 10th March 2008 our pre-primary school in Nyanga was broken into and burgled. We wish to hereby increase our commitment to the struggle for safe and sound education within South Africa. Our pre-school projects have been going strong for more than a decade and our future plans are to initiate self-reliance of each of our pre-schools, principals and teachers. In this way Mustadafin Foundation can target and aid more communities by educating its toddlers. It goes without saying that we would not be as successful in our programmes if not for our sponsors. We hope that in the future more individuals and businesses will come on board of our pre-school projects, and help us extend our services to more townships and impoverished areas in the Western Cape and abroad. Contacts: Alia Limbada __________________________________ 11 March 2008; Cape Town Mustadafin Foundation will be feeding 3000 displaced people in Symphony Walk in Delft thrice a week until the end of March. The Foundation’s Disaster Team, along with volunteers, since yesterday have been stirring up huge 100 liter pots of food to serve the community. According to Disaster Relief manager, Ebrahim Smith, The Foundation will be cooking 24 pots of food each day. “We will be cooking 12 pots of food both in the morning and evening. Each pot can serve up to 250 people.” Disaster Relief has on Monday had a busy day trying to deal with three separate disasters in the midst of a staff shortage. Apart from the Delft crisis, Mustadafin helped 60 people whose homes were burnt in a fire in Kraaifontein. Another 15 people were displaced in Kalkfontein in Oostenberg and Mustadafin was on the scene providing food parcels, baby packs and blankets. Contacts: Alia Limbada __________________________________ 06 March 2008; Cape Town UNDERPRIVALEGED SCHOOL GET MINI LABS Mustadafin Foundation will be handing over two Johnkerch Science Mini Labs to Al Azhar High School in Athlone on Monday, March 10th. Mustadafin Foundation recognizes the lack of Science and Math skills among learners in the country and as a result initiated a project to empower schools in acquiring a mini lab. The Johnkerch Science kit is the only natural science kit piloted and endorsed by the Department of Education in the country. Starting as a pilot project, the kit proved to be successful in doubling leaner from 30% to 68% in one month. When used for a full year it increased the average up to 90%. Says Minister of Education, Cameron Dugmore of the kits: “The lack of interest in Science, technology and Mathematics amongst our previously disadvantaged learners is a need for concern and has to be stimulated to increase growth in this area of learning. The successful pilot project that was done in three schools in the Western Cape and monitored by my department has proven what huge benefits the mini lab holds for our learners in terms of Natural Science.” Identifying the lack of hands-on practical material at many disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape, Mustadafin Foundation embarked on the project in December 2006. We are proud to announce a year and some months on we are ready to hand over two of the mini labs to our first school. The handover will take place at 8:45am on Monday morning to a science class at the AL Azhar High School premises. All media are invited to attend for a photo opportunity Contacts: Al Azhar High: corner of Newton Avenue and Birdwood Road, Athlone, 7764 |
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