A Delft ‘superwoman’ who wakes up early twice a week to prepare breakfast and lunch for mense in Voorbrug says she needs help expanding her feeding scheme as more needy people are arriving for food.
When the lockdown started, Mercia September did not stand back as she saw her community going hungry.
“I am running a soup kitchen here in Voorbrug and I only have one stove and one pot," she says.
“I struggle because after finishing serving porridge I have to wash the pot and only then start preparing the soup.”
The mother of four says getting another pot, a stove and more cooking ingredients will help her to feed more people.
“Initially, this soup kitchen was for the youth only, but adults started coming too.
“Dan Kitchens gives me soup when they have and I add my own money for the porridge.”
When the Daily Voice visited her this week, Mercia was putting out her stove and pot to start cooking breakfast, but a number of people were already standing at the gate waiting.
“This is the situation that the government does not see. Every day I have people coming here asking for food and I cannot give them food every day,” she says.
Alister Stuurman is homeless and says Mercia has provided a lifeline for him and others.
“It is hard to recycle or get food from dustbins and I come here to eat," Alister says.
“She does not judge me or send me away, but gives me food every time I come asking.”
Mercia says she also serves sick mense who need to take food with their medicine.
In order to assist, please call Mercia on 063 541 7230.