Development Talk

soup kitchen made difference to people living living in disadvantaged areas

A soup kitchen makes a difference to people living in disadvantaged areas. Photo: Hands of Love

Mthatha is amongst the areas that contribute to the poverty and crime rate in the Eastern Cape. Many people in this town experience the pressures of life to such an extent that they feel there is no way out other than to live on the streets.

Mthatha has gotten a bad reputation for its social ills, but Mthatha youth have stood up to do what is right for their area and established Hands Of Love (H.A.L.O), an organisation that helps to change the living conditions of people in this community.

Initiated in 2009, Hands Of Love is a non-profit organisation that is aimed at reaching out to lost souls and disadvantaged fellow citizens of Mthatha. First called Mthatha Social Outreach, it was started by youth of Mthatha who want to give back to their communities and home town. The aim of this organisation is to show love to people who need it, and to make their lives worthwhile.

clothes distributed to needy people in the areas

Clothes are distributed to the needy. Photo: Hands of Love

The people behind this organisation are inspired by the Bible, which says:  “when we were lost the Lord did not judge, but showed us love and drew us closer to him.” They find it in their hearts to try and re-shape the lives of people living on the streets.

The organisation distributes groceries and clothes to low-income communities and children’s homes. They also spend time with children from orphanages, having fun and following the example of Christ.

The sponsor of this organisation, Sinethemba Dywili, said they serve soup, give out clothes and take food parcels to low-income communities like Phola Park and Tiphini.

Sinethemba Dywili is one of Creative Consulting & Development Works‘ friends on Facebook and when he informed us of the good work that this organisation was doing, we were happy to showcase it on our blog. If you are involved in any other worthwhile projects, please let us know, by leaving a comment below.

A refugee girl in one of the tents used to house people displaced by xenophobic attacks in South Africa in 2008. Photo: Development Works

A refugee girl in one of the tents used to house people displaced by xenophobic attacks in South Africa in 2008. Photo: Development Works

Beautiful! Exquisite! Professional! Captivating! This is what everyone sang after a well-presented musical play by Lawrence House, a refugee children’s home, which forms part of the Scalabrini Centre’s welfare programmes.

The show, commemorating Lawrence House’s 5th anniversary, was entitled “Mad Word” and was advertised by word of mouth. The “mad word” spread and it generated more than a hundred audience members.

While some disturbing incidences of xenophobia have flared up in South Africa after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and a number of foreign nationals have left their homes in fear, this show displayed the theme of unity and love and emphasised the importance of “a happy family”.

Formed in 2005, Lawrence House is dedicated specifically to the care of abandoned and unaccompanied refugee minors. Its motto is the Bible verse “I was a stranger and you accepted me”. The House and its separate teenager cottage can accommodate up to 30 children. Boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18 are taken in. Currently the House shelters children from Angola, DRC, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

We at Creative Consulting & Development Works are firm believers in equal rights and observing the Constitution of South Africa, that is why we have also worked with the NGO for refugees, Adonis Musati Project.

If children from different walks of life can come together and use their talents to put on such a wonderful show, why can’t we as adults bury our differences and work together as well?