Tears of joy flowed in Manenberg yesterday as a community worker, who has been feeding hungry children for seven years, received a brand new gas stove, pots and food from Mayor Dan Plato.
Shamielah Edwards, 62, of the Western Cape Community Care feeding scheme could not contain her excitement when Plato and his entourage arrived with a trailer filled with donations to assist the sukkeling woman.
The community worker, fondly known as “Aunty Miela” along with her team, made an appeal to Plato before the nationwide lockdown as they feared their old, borrowed cooking equipment would no longer be enough.
BLESSED: Shamielah Edwards, 62
“This has always been my dream. We have been cooking with one gas stand for seven years and even that is borrowed,” Aunty Miela says.
“The pots and all the equipment we use to feed between 300 and 500 children each day are donations or borrowed and sometimes I even have to ask people to boil rice for me at their homes.
“Before the lockdown I reached out to the mayor asking for help because we were struggling and I was worried we would not make it.
“Since the lockdown our numbers have gone up because of the parents who are not working now.”
Residents cheered as Plato and Ward Councillor Aslam Cassiem unloaded the new gas stove, gas tanks, non-perishable foods and brand new pots.
HANDOVER: Mayor Dan Plato provides food, stove and pots to Aunty Miela
Plato says: “As a government we are not able to do it alone we provide food parcels as far as we can.
“So now we have embarked on this initiative to give to soup kitchens across Cape Town the necessary stoves, gas tanks, pots and ingredients so they can make food for the public”.
HANDOVER: Mayor Dan Plato provides food, stove and pots to Aunty Miela. Video: Monique Duval
Aunty Miela adds. “We are very grateful and this will go a long way to assist us in the future. “We have only survived on donations and help from the Figietmatul Umaa Association, Brothers for Life feeding scheme and other Manenberg stakeholders.”