Two local women have come up with an innovative way to feed communities around Noordhoek with a bag of ingredients that feeds a family of four and costs only R10. People are getting involved in PackAlong’s – or since COVID PackAlone’s – to pack these nutritious Ndihluthi bags that are providing more than 12,000 meals every week. Since lockdown, volunteers have packed 25,000 Ndihluthi bags, that’s 102,000 meals.
Two years ago, Tracy Le Roux and Kim McLeroth along with a group of Reddam Grade 10 students came up with the Ndihluthi concept for Mandela Day to help a friend who runs a feeding scheme in Capricorn Park. These children are fed at school but during the holidays they were not guaranteed a daily meal. “We sourced the ingredients to make a nutritious meal and started packing so that the children could be sent home for the holidays with bags of ingredients their parents could cook into meals,” says Kim. “The concept grew and since lockdown we have had to intensify our efforts to meet the need. “
The concept of Ndihluthi is to invite the community to host a ‘Packalong’, or since COVID now called a ‘PackAlone’ “ says Kim “You can volunteer to Pay-to-Pack, so self-sponsor a PackAlong, at a subsidized cost of R2,500 for 500 bags, or invite your friends / neighbours to sponsor your PackAlone. Everything you need is collected or delivered on a Thursday with packing instructions and distributed on a Tuesday. The packs are donated to NoordhoekCAN, Living Hope and a few other community leaders in Ocean View and Redhill to ensure fair distribution to those most in need in our local community.
Currently we’re arranging six PackAlone’s every weekend, generating 3,000 packs (feeding 12,000) and would like to continue with this trend for as long as possible.
“People feel good after packing. It’s a great opportunity to do something for the community and the kids can get involved. It’s also positive for the people receiving the bags as somebody is getting a pack to cook. You are cooking to feed your own family, offering hope and empowerment. The ingredients we provide – rice, our special soup mix and split peas – cooks up as food, not soup,” she says.
Ndihluthi, which means full tummy/satisfied, is 100% not for profit. All funds donated to this initiative go directly towards ingredients. All packing, marketing and distribution of packs is done by JDI Foundation members and volunteers. Find us on Facebook or Instagram for more information on how to get involved.
The Ndihluthi bags are available to purchase at Café Roux’s Saturday morning essential shopping hub. “Locals are buying them to give to car guards or hungry people they come across. Some just make a donation. Come and say hi to us, we are there every Saturday,” says Tracy
Noordhoek Ratepayers Association (NRPA) Chairperson, Brad Bing, says, “We are so proud of these two intrepid women who are not only working hard to feed hungry people in neighbouring communities but doing so in a smart and innovative way that allows all of us to get involved.
“This is an excellent example of being ‘Good Neighbours’, one of the NRPA’s 2030 Noordhoek Vision goals. We believe that the health and security of our Noordhoek community depends on the health and security of all other communities in the valley,” he says. “Thank you Kim and Tracy.”
Find Ndihluthi on FaceBook or Instagram.
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Become a member online at nrpa.org.za or email your name and address to treasurer@nrpa.org.zato join today – it’s the best investment you’ll make this year.
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