Soup kitchen up in flames

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Plettenberg Bay has shown once again that it can rise from the ashes when the community came together after disaster struck.

Skizo's soup kitchen that services large parts of the Qolweni community, including hundreds of children, was completely destroyed in a fire on Friday.

While authorities reacted swiftly to bring the blaze under control, at least two other structures were also claimed by the flames.

The fire not only destroyed the old Qolweni Community Hall, from which the soup kitchen operated, but also all the equipment, from pots to gas stoves and utensils, used to prepare the food as well as all the food for the weekend.

Photos: Qolweni community hall destroyed by fire

Tanya Hyde from Muddy Pooches, which has been rendering relief services during the devastating lockdown, said as soon as the news broke, community members started pitching in to assist.

The Table restaurant in Plett prepared chicken stew for the day. The following day several members of the community cooked up a storm to ensure that 250 people, including children, would not go hungry. Donations of pots, cookers, gas and food also came in.

An anonymous donor also donated 200 bunches of spinach, 170kg of sweet potato, 150kg of butternut and 300kg of apples which went to Muddy Pooches for distribution among the soup kitchens they support. The Plett NG Church also donated food for their food parcels and the Deli Factory supplied chicken and cheese.

As a result of the fire, seven adults and four children lost everything they own. The community also pitched in here and donated blankets, clothing and other items to get them on their feet again.

In the meantime the destroyed site is being cleared and should be rebuilt in the near future.

Bitou Municipality had not responded to questions by the time of going to print.

People scatter from a fire that broke out at the old Qolweni Community Hall, from which a soup kitchen operated. The facility was completely destroyed in the blaze.