Cycling academy Velokhaya in Khayelitsha has partnered with Pick 'n Pay and Mellon Educate to deliver food parcels to scores of families around Khayelitsha.
For seven weeks the academy has been running a feeding program for children and delivering food parcels to their parents.
Sipho Mona who is the general manager of the academy says while feeding the kids hot food, they thought about the parents at home.
“We realised that since schools have closed the learners are not getting meals and we prepared meals for them, two times a day,” he says.
“We thought about the parents back home and went on social media to ask for assistance.
“Organisations reached out and since the start of lockdown we have assisted 1100 families.”
PACKING Babalwa Mpulampula from Mellon Educate, Sipho Mona and Yoliswa Ntshaka from PnP
Cyclists delivered some of the food parcels using their bicycles on Wednesday.
Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Transformation Director at Pick * Pay, says since the beginning of lockdown they have been packing food parcels for Velokhaya as part of their Feed the Nation campaign.
“We have had a strong partnership with the centre for many years so we immediately embarked on this journey with Sipho to feed the members at the centre during this time of crisis, and also their families,” she says.
“The project has since expanded to help many more families in the community.”
Babalwa Mpulampula of Mellon Educate says in addition they assist township schools with infrastructure and academic support.
“We want to change the overall outlook of schools and now since they are closing it is fitting that we support organisations such as Velokhaya who reach out to families during this time.”
Velokhaya will continue to run the feeding scheme until the lockdown is lifted.