PSFA’s COVID-19 lockdown appeal for funding raises over R12 million

We are pleased to announce that our appeal for funding for our feeding programmes during the COVID-19 lockdown period, has to date managed to raise an outstanding amount of R12 740 596, enabling PSF to feed over 217 000 people affected by poverty.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors and partners, 100% of the funds received were allocated to the purchasing of essential ingredients for our COVID-19 emergency feeding projects which were implemented in the following ways:

Extended School Holidays Feeding Project

In response to the President of South Africa’s special address on Sunday 15 March, when he declared a state of national disaster which resulted in schools closing early, PSFA immediately jumped in to action to provide ingredients consisting of rice, lentils, samp, beans, soya, pilchards, fresh vegetables and fruit for daily meals that were prepared and served to children affected by poverty, at various community kitchens in the greater Cape Town area.

A total of 42 000 daily nutritious cooked luncheons were served to 4 200 children for a period of 10 days at the following community kitchens:

1. Jabulani Community Centre in Parkwood
2. Priceless Honour Community Project in Blue Downs
3. Guardians of the National Trust in collaboration with CAFDA in Philippi
4. Youth Outreach Centre in Cloetesville, Stellenbosch
5. Siphekela Isizwe Community Feeding Project in Gugulethu
6. Siphekela Isizwe Community Feeding Project in Joe Slovo Park, Milnerton
7. Smart Kingdom Kids in Retreat

COVID-19 Lockdown Emergency Food Parcel Distribution Campaign

Due to the announcement of a national lockdown by the President of South Africa on March 26, PSFA immediately instituted the distribution of 13 000 food parcels that were packed at our warehouse in Philippi and sent to various community centres in the greater Cape Town area including those in the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Central Metropole districts as well as Saldanha, Vredendal, Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn for the distribution of food parcels to needy households.

We targeted the homes of the most vulnerable where there were unemployed parents, child-headed households and elderly who supported grandchildren. Most of the parcels were delivered door to door by volunteers of the community projects with which we were collaborating.

Image: 1000's of food parcels at our warehouse ready for distribution to our schools

Extended Lockdown Feeding Project

In response the President of South Africa’s announcement on April 9, 2020, that the COVID-19 lockdown had been extended for another two weeks, PSFA with the endorsement of the Western Cape Education Department, made the strategic decision to distribute food parcels from our schools.

These 108 schools were able to secure essential permits to accept our parcels and to distribute these to the most vulnerable learners on our feeding programme.

We have to date packed and distributed over 35 000 parcels.  Each food parcel contained enough ingredients to provide a family of five with meals for one week. Over 175 000 people have benefited from these food parcels.

Image: Our creditors clerk, Barbara Adams in front of a pile of food parcels she had just packed

The way forward:

As from June 1, 2020, PSFA’s feeding programme roll out will now be broken down into the following projects:

School feeding – our voluntary food preparers will be cooking and serving a daily breakfast and lunch at our schools to half the number of children on our feeding programme.  The cost to feed a learner for a day is R2.50, a month, R62 and for a year, R450.

Community kitchens – PSFA will be providing community kitchens in the greater Cape Town area with ingredients for daily luncheons to be served to people affected by poverty. The cost to feed one person for a day is R3.50 and R70 per month.

Food parcels – PSFA will continue to pack and distribute food parcels to our schools to be handed to the learners on our feeding programme and their families. The cost of each parcel is R155.

We appeal to you to consider making a donation towards one of the above feeding projects.

Please click on this link https://bit.ly/2UtzZMt to view a special video on YouTube that provides you with a short and important report by our director, Petrina Pakoe, regarding PSFA's emergency feeding response during the COVID-19 lockdown from March 19 until May 31, 2020, as well as our current and future feeding projects that we have in place during this lockdown.

The video includes interviews with some of our partners, donors and school principals. This video also provides PSFA with a platform to thank all our donors and partners for their generous support and shows the positive impact their donations have made in the lives of hungry people affected by poverty during this awful pandemic.

Keep safe and healthy.

For more information on PSFA visit our website www.psfa.org.za or email info@psfa.org.za