Somerset East COVID Response

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111 donors
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€10,920 raised of €10K

Somerset East COVID Response

Our goal is to feed 1000 families for a period of 3 weeks, in Somerset East,  South Africa. 
We are a group of South African expats and "friends of Somerset East" who are living it up in relative comfort in lockdown Europe or in our nice homes elsewhere.  All the while we know that the Covid lockdown is a whole different ball game for most people in South Africa. 

Before Covid-19 our town had 45% unemployment and was considered "poverty-stricken".   Today, due to weeks of national lockdown, people are experiencing extreme hunger and even more poverty than ever before.  




We have already purchased over 8000 meals and have delivered 100's of 3-week food parcels.  We are donating some of the food to local soup kitchens as well as children's homes.   And we are currently creating a food coupon system, where people can safely collect food at a central collection point.  

We have sourced a wonderful product - we call it "Pandemic Convenience Food". It is basic, but nutritious and easy to prepare, consisting of rice, soya mince and dehydrated vegetables.  This emergency meal can feed a family of 4, and costs R10 (50c euro). 

 
South Africa has one of the harshest COVID lock-downs in the world. And Somerset East is one of the poorest towns in the country. 

For many, what they eat at night depends on what they earned that day.   Right now, the poorest are earning nothing.

Government aid supports about a third of the need for impoverished families.  This campaign is focused on doing what we can to save one small Eastern Cape town from the worst of its fate.   


We are working directly with local town councillors and small food business owners with roots that go back generations, and are raising money to provide subsistence food before this emergency becomes an atrocity.  

 Every child in a South African government school would ordinarily get a meal at school, and for many it would be the only meal of the day.  With the schools closed, many children are going hungry.

The scale of the COVID's impact on South Africa is overwhelming.   Funding this campaign is a small practical step you can take to prevent human suffering.  

Local businesses are pledging to match every dollar raised.  Donate a dollar and they will add another one to it.

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