PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - What started as a project to mitigate the economic impact of Covid-19 on communities has now flourished into a community project which aims to serve local folk on a level beyond the pandemic.
The initiative, which is based in Kranshoek and run by the organisation People of Love, was started in response to those who struggled to put food on the table following a sharp rise in unemployment due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
As a result of these restrictions and subsequent difficult times, several soup kitchens sprung up in Plettenberg Bay, including one in Kranshoek, an impoverished community on the outskirts of town.
This soup kitchen has however grown into a project based on four key pillars, namely vegetable gardens, community clean-ups, community bakeries and mobile kitchens.
Co-founder of People of Love Tina Hopff said the idea behind the bakery pillar was to create a sustainable bakery, not just for local soup kitchens, but also for the community. From this project Hopff and her team have been able to feed more than 800 people a day in Kranshoek.
The bakery also continues to serve the community with high quality bread at very affordable prices, even after the more severe lockdown restrictions have been lifted. They even started to supply other kitchens with bread.
Workers such as Linea Washaya have been hard at work in the Kranshoek soup kitchen to feed and supply the community. Photo: Vanessa Brewer
The initiative also led to the establishment of what Hopff has dubbed a "Soup Kitchen Garden", which they hope will not only provide soup kitchens with fresh produce, but also become an established marketplace selling fresh vegetables to the public in future.
She said that in a country with high unemployment figures and where many people struggle to feed their families, this initiative went a long way in creating self-sustainable jobs. "It also instils the attitude of independence while at the same time equipping individuals with the basic entrepreneurial skills they may need to get started with other business initiatives," Hopff said.
The team said since the initiative was started, residents have come forward asking how they could participate.
"That's what this is about; it's about positive energy, people who are willing to work hard and take an opportunity and do something positive," said People of Love's Darren Chatz.
Chatz said the goal is to foster a culture of entrepreneurship, where members of the community can, from these types of initiatives, create sustainable job opportunities for themselves.
The soup kitchen in Kranshoek also includes a vegetable garden. They hope this garden will not only supply the kitchen itself with fresh produce, but also the public.
The Kranshoek soup kitchen has grown to include a clean-up arm where members of the community ensure their "home" is clean. Photo: Vanessa Brewer
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