Betty Moleya
Pretoria - Despite being unemployed, 27-year-old Jacob Madisha from Atteridgeville has made it his responsibility to feed and assist those who are less privileged in his community.
He is running a project where he and his associates make breakfast for schoolchildren twice a week.
Madisha is the founder of Ponelopelo Community Development, which he started with hopes of inspiring others not to give up in unfavourable situations.
The organisation is based in Atteridgeville West Extension 6 and has no sponsorship. Everything is done out of the pockets of those he works with and donations received.
“Coming from a township where our backgrounds are not equal, some of us when going to school had no uniforms and were often discriminated against by teachers.
“Some of these children go to school without having had anything to eat, and you might find that there is no feeding scheme at the school,” he said, adding that those kinds of situations robbed children of fully enjoying themselves and reaching their full capabilities.
“Not having something to eat leads to loss of concentration in class, because you worry about your next meal.”
The free fund breakfast privilege was started last year after Madisha realised a soup kitchen he was running, was not enough.
“We do the breakfast run during the week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“We do not limit our menu, sometimes we serve peanut butter or jam sandwiches and when we have other food, that is what they get.”
Madisha explained that he wanted to give every child the chance to experience and taste different types of foods.
“We make sure that we change our menu. Sometimes we serve bread with polony, cheese, and chips. So each child has that sensation of different kinds of foods.”
Madisha said he wished to serve breakfast five days a week, but he had “a problem of affordability”.
He said he would appreciate bread and spread donations, and anything nutritious, and that they also needed someone who could sponsor the initiative on a full-time basis.
“If we have enough food for breakfast, the children can take some for lunch or for after school,” said Madisha.
In order to fund the breakfast he sells chicken feet, and with the profit he buys the food needed for the breakfast.
The profit is also funded the soup kitchen, which is run in the first week of every month.
He works with a team of individuals, including his mother, and they have all dedicated time to help uplifting the community.
Only one person from the team is employed, while some have just matriculated and are looking for something to keep them busy.
Besides the soup kitchen and the free breakfast, the organisation also donates food parcels, clothes, toiletries to both girl and boy children, stationery and school uniforms.
Pretoria News