Woman opens soup kitchen, feeds over 84 OVCs
GUNDVWINI – A woman, out of compassion, has opened a soup kitchen which feeds over 84 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs), on a daily basis at Gundvwini under the Mtfongwaneni Constituency.
Siphumelele Nxumalo, who is in her late 30s, said that she was touched when she found young children fending for foodstuff at one of the dumpsites at Sidvokodvo.
“I was very touched when I saw children scavenging for food during the COVID-19 lockdowns last year and I knew that I had to do something to stop them from visiting the dumpsite as it was dangerous for them,” Nxumalo narrated.
She disclosed that among the children were young girls and letting them continue scavenging for food in that dumpsite could subject them to rape or even abduction.
“These children are from child-headed homes while some are born from impoverished homes in the community of Gundvwini. I started by registering them and then began to cook food for them during lunch hour where all of them would be invited to come and eat,” she explained.
NEEDY CHILDREN
Nxumalo said that she would like to thank the umphakatsi of the late Prince Logcogco, who allowed her to pursue her dream of taking care of the needy children.
“After approaching the umphakatsi, I was allocated a piece of land which I was told I could use to host the children and give them food during lunch hours. I would like to applaud other women within the community for actually helping me prepare the food for the vulnerable children. It has not been an easy journey as sometimes I run out of food to feed the children,” Nxumalo said.
She further lauded a few individuals who had been of assistance in as far as providing food is concerned.
“If it was not for their assistance, some of these children could have returned to the dumpsite and exposed themselves to a hazardous life,” she opined.
Nxumalo, an unemployed school leaver, depends on subsistence farming, which helps provide her with food to make sure the stomachs of her beneficiaries remained full.
Furthermore, Nxumalo appealed to emaSwati to assist her pursue her dream of taking care of the vulnerable children and also that of building a soup kitchen structure. “Now that it is the rainy season, it would be difficult for me to continue with cooking and dishing up for the children in an open space when it rains. I would like to appeal for assistance from individuals and organisations to keep the fire burning in the soup kitchen,” Nxumalo appealed.
“We do have young girls who are desperately in need of sanitary towels as well and we would like to ask for help so that we can provide them with these essentials,” Nxumalo mentioned.
CHILD-HEADED
Bucopho of the community, Sabelo Simelane corroborated Nxumalo’s plea and called upon members of the public to help the vulnerable. Anyone with assistance can contact Nxumalo on A child-headed household is one where there are no adult careers available and children live on their own. Typically an older child will care for siblings, cousins, nephews or nieces. Such a situation is increasingly common in areas with high AIDS mortality and regions affected by genocide or war.
Research has shown that there is a variety of reasons why a sibling group may live on its own. It may be the only way to remain together, the best way to retain the use and ownership of their parents’ land and home, or the only option available.
Some child-headed households are supported by extended family members and others are entirely on their own. A child-headed household may be extremely vulnerable, or it may have strong family and community links and living in acceptable circumstances. External agencies must consider carefully how best to support a child-headed household or whether an alternative care option would be better. Direct provision of aid by an outside organisation has been shown to undermine community support to child-headed households, and some agencies have found that the best way to provide care is through community structures.