Help Wicht Court fill empty stomachs

Adele Campbell, chairperson of the Wicht Court committee, is appealing to business owners to assist them with sponsorship.

Desperate times call for desperate measures as community workers are demonstrating and they pull out all the stops to feed the community at Wicht Court, in Lavender Hill.

Court committee members had been feeding those in need in their block of flats for the past five years since they launched their non-profit organisation, Wicht Court Committee.

However, since the start of the national lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, which started at midnight on March 26, the demand has grown as there is an increase in hungry mouths to feed from Mondays to Fridays.

Adele Campbell, head of Wicht Court Committee, and seven other women have been finding themselves on the front lines to feed
the community and to teach them to sanitise their hands and keep a physical distance.

Ms Campbell said: “The Wicht Court Committee is showing the greater surrounds that if we in the flats show humanity, Covid-19 can be conquered. We are serving breakfast every morning to 100 learners and parents and in the afternoon we serve lunch/ supper to 220 people every day until
4pm”

Ursula Kruger, who had been living in Lavender Hill for 23 years and who is also the cook on the block, said she feels joy when she gives children a plate of food.

Ms Kruger said she loves children and she herself has nine grandchildren with four of them living with her while she has to wait for after lockdown to see the others.

When they don’t get enough sponsorship to feed the community, the women dig deep into their own pockets.

The morning menu from Monday to Friday is mealie meal for breakfast. She said they had been fortunate enough to be able to feed the children tomato spaghetti and before lockdown it would be sandwiches or viennas for hot dogs for lunch.

Ms Kruger said it was important to feed the families food “that we would like to eat at home, and on Good Friday we served them fish cakes and spicy rice.”

During the lockdown she said people from other courts are also coming over to stand in line for food.

One challenge she faces is when “a child comes knocking at my door for a plate of food”, she said while choking back the tears.

Ronell Manuel sees that the children are adhering to the rules such as washing their hands and standing in line a distance apart. “They are so cute and very obedient. I also let them disinfect their hands before touching the food.”

She said they fed 350 children and adults on Wednesday April 15.

Ms Manuel, who had been living in Lavender Hill for more than 10 years before moving out, moved back seven months ago.

She also said the challenge they face is getting enough donations.

“I pray during sleepless nights that the food will be enough as we just want to see that everyone gets a plate of food. So, far, with God’s grace, we’ve never had to turn anyone away, without food.”

If you would like to support the women with ingredients for their feeding scheme or donate funds, call Ms Campbell on 063 396
5243.