Eskom lends helping hand to community
The Eskom Development Foundation has completed a donation of equipment to the Oasis 4 Christ soup kitchen in George.
The soup kitchen was established in 2015 and specialises in a health and nutrition service. They also provide home-based care assistance and workshops addressing capacitybuilding and life skills education. They render their services to school children, youths and elderly members of the Ballotsview and Parkdene communities.
Various needs were identified in the project and these included a need for cooking equipment, appliances and furniture in the feeding area. Oasis approached Eskom, which heeded their call for assistance through its corporate social investment organisation. The foundation provided the project with four-burner gas stoves, cooking utensils and crockery, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave oven, steel folding tables and plastic chairs.
The project now has proper appliances for food preparation and sufficient crockery and utensils to serve a bigger number of needy beneficiaries at a time. Vegetable donations are often made to the project and thanks to the new fridge and chest freezer they are now able to stockpile frozen vegetables for longer periods. Eskom’s donation has enhanced the operation of the project’s soup kitchen and benefited 375 people, including 42 who are living with disabilities.
The Eskom Development Foundation’s chief executive officer, Cecil Ramonotsi, says the organisation supports continued efforts to improve the quality of life for as many South Africans as possible. “As Eskom, we are concerned about more than just electricity and look at ways to make a meaningful difference in communities. Through such donations, we seek to bring about positive change and development.”