A Bridgetown, Western Cape, organisation has been able to continue and expand its meal distribution of nutritional meals to disadvantaged children attending a range of Early Childhood Development Centres, thanks to the donation of a dedicated vehicle valued at some R860 000.
Reaching needy children across a wide area daily was becoming increasingly difficult for the Mustadafin Foundation, which has long been reliant on an aging vehicle to service its widespread Early Childhood Development Centres and Learning Centre.
Learning of the organisation’s logistics issue, the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) was quick to respond, sponsoring a new vehicle to ensure the seamless continuance of meal provision.
Commenting, SAMCT representative, Mr Faried Boltman, said: “This is an organisation committed to serving the children in its charge healthy, nutritional food daily, thus helping to ensure their physical and mental development. The centres, located over a vast area, operate efficiently, and the organisation has the means to prepare huge quantities of food. Key to bringing these two aspects together is transport; effective and reliable transport to take the prepared foodstuffs to the needy children attending the centres.”
He added that the organisation’s feeding and distribution schemes necessarily focus on the vast outlying and rural areas, home to those worst affected by poverty. Reaching such far-flung locations has taken its toll on its current vehicle. Currently, the organisation serves the Tafelsig, Khayelitsha, Del and Sherwood Park areas, amongst others.
The Mustadafin Foundation was established in 1986, initially emerging as a consequence of political unrest and violence in the isolated Crossroads area. In order to support the community, a group of people commenced the task of providing services, such as accommodation, food and clothing, medical care and trauma counselling, to those most in need.
The diverse group, working towards a common goal, opted to formalise their efforts, leading to the establishment of the Mustadafin Foundation. Today, the organisation seeks to work with and support other bodies working in the same area and has set out to expand its area of operations, amid growing demands for its support services.
Mr Boltman said: “The organisation’s support work on behalf of other bodies and, especially, poverty-stricken communities is crucial and we, of the SAMCT were pleased to be able to partner with the Mustadafin Foundation by sponsoring a new vehicle, thus enabling it to more effectively serve its widespread communities and deliver major social and humanitarian projects on behalf of historically disadvantaged individuals and communities in the Western Cape.”
The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al Baraka Bank, for the creation, marketing and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. The organisation provides funding, services and other resources to improve the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. It has successfully delivered sizeable assistance solutions throughout
South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organisations in the fields of healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation and education.
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For more information about the SAMCT or its donation, please contact:
Rasheeda Motala
Social Responsibility Officer
Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za
www.samct.co.za