The devastating floods in KwaZulu Natal this week, coming so soon after the destruction caused by the riots and looting in July last year, threatens the survival of individuals and communities that have only just begun to recover, many hanging on by a thread. In the face of what has officially been declared a provincial disaster by President Cyril Ramaphosa, civil society is stepping into the fray once again to provide immediate relief to those affected by the floods, many working collaboratively to pool resources and leverage infrastructure.
One such organisation is SA Harvest, the food rescue and hunger relief organisation that has delivered the equivalent of 20 million meals in 32 months by rescuing food that would otherwise have gone to waste. Since launching in August 2019, SA Harvest has built up a strong infrastructure, logistical and technology capabilities, and gained invaluable expertise and networks through their relief efforts at the time of the riots, enabling them to respond immediately to the crisis.
“Once again, we have been overwhelmed both by the desperate pleas for help, and by the generosity and speed with which donors have responded. Having recently moved into a far larger warehouse at Kings Park Stadium, we have even greater logistical capabilities to deal with the crisis this time round, and we are calling on large manufacturers in the food industry, as well as logistics companies, to assist us in getting food and essentials such as blankets, clothing, toiletries, baby food, nappies and pet food to people who are in such unthinkably desperate need. It is a horrifying injustice that the people who are worst affected by the ravages of climate change are the poor and vulnerable. We have a shared responsibility to help them in every way possible, to bring relief from a seemingly hopeless situation,” says Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest.
Commenting on the situation on the ground in Durban, SA Harvest’s operations manager for the KZN region, Lindsay Hopkins says, “The situation is nothing short of catastrophic. People in communities served by the beneficiary organisations we supply – people who are already severely food insecure – have been battered even further by these storms. At the same time, we are seeing the most heartwarming outpouring of compassion. We’ve received a donation of 500 large food hampers from Tiger Brands, maize from Premier FMCG and RCL Foods through the Do More Foundation, financial support from several big donors, and communities and companies are rallying to lend their support. The logistics industry is stepping in, which is enabling us to collect food donations in Cape Town and Joburg to bring to Durban in interlink trucks after the Easter weekend. It is going to be a brutal time for the people affected by the floods over the next four days, but we are thankful for the donations received so far, which we are sending out to provide immediate relief. The situation is going to remain dire for some time.”
All contributions towards relief efforts are gratefully accepted and can be made either by delivering donations to SA Harvest’s warehouses in Durban, Joburg and Cape Town, or via financial contributions.
The warehouses will reopen after the Easter weekend to accept donations:
Cape Town:
8 Dacres Avenue, Epping, Cape Town
Drop off times:
Weekdays: 08h00 to 10h00
Wednesday: 08h00 to 15h00
Contact: Margolite 079 495 4433
Joburg:
Eastborough Business Park, Unit 18,
15 Olympia Road, Eastgate, Sandton
Drop off times:
Weekdays: 8h30 – 15h00
Contact: Shelly 082 569 1648 or Vic 063 649 7990
Durban:
Kings Park Stadium, Gate A, Jacko Jackson Drive, Durban
Drop off times:
Weekdays: 8h30 – 15h00
Contact: Lindsay 082 077 6491
Financial donations can be made via bit.ly/SAHarvestDonate
SA Harvest is able to issue a Section 18A certificate to all donors of tangible, billable products and services.
For more on SA Harvest’s relief efforts, please follow them on social media @saharvest.
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