Local pastors Enrique Hermanus and Wynand Breytenbach have made food parcels for those in need in the Durbanville community during the national lockdown. PHOTO: Wynand Breytenbach
The national lockdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa has left many people struggling to access essential goods. This is specifically true for those who rely on initiatives such as feeding schemes.
To combat this crisis, World United, an organisation in Durbanville in the Western Cape, is providing resources to those in need in the Durbanville community through food hampers.
World United was formed by two local pastors who serve on the ward committee for the Durbanville area under the City of Cape Town, where they represent education, religious and vulnerable groups.
Enrique Hermanus, a pastor from El Shaddai Christian Church, and Wynand Breytenbach, a pastor from Durbanville Gemeente, said they realised that the national lockdown was going to severely impact disadvantaged communities in the area.
Breytenbach (right) and Hermanus (left) on their way to drop off hampers. PHOTO: Wynand Breytenbach
“When we heard that the feeding scheme of one of the local schools had discontinued for the time of lockdown we knew that we should get involved,” said Breytenbach.
Hermanus phoned Breytenbach in March. “[He] said he’s not doing this without me,” Breytenbach stated. “That was at 11:00. By 13:00 we had a plan for how to get funding and started speaking to the community leaders in order for us to do it the right way. We wanted to serve the community by putting our knowledge, accessibility and talents together for them to flourish,” he said.
LISTEN: Enrique Hermanus on his and Wynand Breytenbach’s vision with World United. CREDIT: Sarah Hoek
Feeding the community
The initiative organises donations and put together food hampers, then uses various feeding scheme lists to identify those in need in Durbanville and then works with community leaders to distribute, said Hermanus.
“We decided that we want to put together food hampers and these are being distributed door-to-door to community members,” he said.
“We had to set up a structure to connect a few people [and then] organise donations, bulk buying, packaging and distributors,” Breytenbach said. These structures help them to give to the people in dire need, to identify children that would normally benefit from a feeding scheme and to then distribute the food to those homes, he said.
The food donated and packaged into hampers will go to families in need in the Durbanville area.
PHOTO: Wynand Breytenbach
Partnering alongside existing organisations, such as Community Keepers in Fisantekraal, also helped them to distribute the hampers and connect them to trusted members of the community, said Breytenbach.
“We like to collaborate and work hand in hand. I think it’s really important to the work that we do,” said Meriel Bartlett from Community Keepers.
“People donate so that we can continue this work, so there are many ways that World United has influenced the community; it taught people that they shouldn’t be numbed by fear,” said Breytenbach on how the project has affected the Durbanville community. PHOTO: Wynand Breytenbach
Safe and sanitised
Hermanus and Breytenbach say they also understood the danger of the work that they are doing in the midst of the pandemic, and that all parties involved need to take precautions to protect themselves and prevent cross-contamination.
“[Volunteers] sanitise themselves and help to buy the items and help pack the hampers and then sanitise the hampers again. People donate so that we can continue this work, obviously with great caution and respect for the virus,” said Breytenbach.
Health fears were also not the only safety considerations that World United had to take into account, as the community members could also be targets for thieves who see that they have the hampers in their possession, Breytenbach explained.
“It is very important to know that they are safe and that they don’t feel threatened,” he said.
Hermanus and Breytenbach say that their friendship and passion for their community have been key factors to their work during the pandemic.
“We both felt that World United should be able to be open to anyone trying to help, and has made it possible for us to say to people that they can help during these times. We wanted to first call it Durbanville United but [Hermanus] felt that was ‘dreaming too small’ and said we should rather call it World United,” said Breytenbach.
“Both of us have a heart for the vulnerable in society,” Hermanus said.
World United has also partnered with My SPAR (SPAR Palm Grove) and Sprouting Minds. PHOTO: Enrique Hermanus