KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Rotary Club has been carrying out a number of initiatives in the last month while South Africans have been in lockdown, all in the hope of aiding those in need during the fight against Covid-19.
From the start of the lockdown on 26 March, countless businesses have closed down as they're not essential services, leaving millions of South Africans struggling to make ends meet as they have no sources of income.
This has severely impacted the poorest of communities, which the Rotary Club of Knysna has set out to help in an effort to alleviate their plight.
One of their first projects came in the form of a R5 000 donation from the Rotary Anns that went towards groceries for Vermont Old Age Centre and Lukhanyiso Safe House via So-Ca. Thereafter, Rotary arranged for the distribution of Covid-19 awareness brochures and soap packs to township residents. The club also initiated and procured the necessary personal protection equipment and disinfectant products for a sanitisation project that commenced on 9 April. The project around town is administered by Knysna Municipality, and as part of the programme taxi drivers are provided with hand sanitiser.
Rotary is now focusing on targeted food security in order to support those who have lost income due to the lockdown. To date the club has assisted almost 600 local households in the form of vouchers or food packs. The project is rapidly growing as the need for food assistance increases and Knysna Rotary is therefore appealing for donations to its Covid-19 Food Fund (donation details may be found on their website at https://knysnarotary.co.za/covid-19).
Rotary is liaising with the local JOCC, other service organisations and the municipality to work towards a coordinated response to the need for food and set up an efficient delivery system.
The organisation aims to continue their efforts, according to Knysna Rotary Covid-19 Committee team leader Andrew Finn. “The effects of the lockdown will be far-reaching and Knynsa Rotary, together with the mentioned parties, will endeavour to provide support to local residents," Finn said.
Knysna Rotary president Julie Staub stated, “We are enormously grateful to all those who have made financial contributions to our fund and I would like to thank, in particular, the Rotary Covid-19 Committee who are working tirelessly, with other organisations, to reach as many people as possible. We need to continue to encourage our residents to practise social distancing, wear their masks and to keep safe. Keeping our people safe and fed is our main goal and we will continue to do this until the lockdown is lifted and we are on a path to recovery.”
Knysna Rotary has been hard at work trying to alleviate the plight of Knysna's poor and destitute with their feeding scheme. Photo: Facebook/Rotary Knysna
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