Delft soup kitchen to ladle out more relief
HAVING initiated a drive that has fed over 20 000 households since the start of the national disaster, Asavela Peko’s soup kitchen has become a beacon of hope in Delft.
In announcing more good news, the 28-year-old second-year university student said plans were also under way to launch the Food Relief Alliance of South Africa (Frasa), that will be a permanent umbrella structure for organisations fighting hunger.
Peko set-up the “Sisipho – it’s a gift” – soup kitchen at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, to help alleviate hunger in his community.
He also provides meals for needy students living in residence.
“We have, since the beginning of lockdown, provided over 20 000 meals across Cape Town, particularly Delft and at CPUT residences. The soup kitchen is an emergency disaster intervention that provides a ‘food relief’ for the vulnerable members of the community and students who were left un-catered for at their respective residences,” said Peko.
He said the soup kitchen was keeping the spirit of ubuntu alive, and was a lesson for the younger generations.
“We have three kitchens: two are full-time and one is rotational across a few sections of Delft. We started off with 30 volunteers and cooked for
“We started the kitchen to defeat the trends of hunger Asavela Peko CPUT student
five days, but now we do three days – Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 2pm. Our meals are served to children, the majority being girls.
“We started the soup kitchen to help people within their areas, to defeat the trends of hunger under the pandemic and as usual, to give sense of hope that ubuntu has carried generations across the life-threatening rivers,” said Peko.
He said in extending their helping hand, Frasa will be a permanent umbrella structure for organisations fighting hunger.
“Covid-19 has changed our way of life. But despite things returning to ‘normality’, people will still need help to feed their families. In partnership with YoungPeople@Work we are starting the Frasa organisation which will be a permanent umbrella structure for organisations fighting hunger (poverty), which will be a near future strategy to carry forward the struggle brought by poverty,” he said.