On Friday 30 May, I sent this email below to a bunch of people, and the response has been amazing. So I'm setting up this blog, to document how things are going in the hall, to keep everyone updated, and to begin figuring out a more sustainable solution to helping the people in the Hall to rebuild their lives.
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Hi everyone,
I'm sending this to a big group of people, and I'm hoping that you will all be able to help us. As most of you know, IkamvaYouth is based at the Nazeema Isaacs library, and our new office is part of the building next door, that houses the Desmond Tutu Hall in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.
As a result of the horrendous xenophobic violence, we have had between 400 and 900 people in the hall over the past week - most of them Zimbabwean. Today (Friday 30 May), we have 400 people in the hall, and we don't have enough food to feed them lunch and dinner.
Today is their eighth day here, and the situation is desperate. There are 20 infants, 3 pregnant women (one in severe pain), and people are beginning to get sick. They are all sleeping on the concrete floor, and we are struggling to ensure that everyone gets fed. Although TAC and other organisations are doing an INCREDIBLE job at coordinating civil society's response to the crisis, and ensuring that donations reach those in need across the country, more help is needed.
Ikamvanites, led by Bongani Ndubata, are helping out at the Desmond Tutu hall, and purchasing goods most needed by the refugees, as soon as funds arrive in our account. Please help us to enable the members of the Makhaza community who are against these xenophobic attacks to help the victims of this disturbing violence. Please deposit cash into our account (with the reference "Tutu").
Alternatively, please bring donations to the hall, or drop off them off with TAC volunteers at 50 Cantebury Street, off Roeland Street in Cape Town. Generally, we need food, milk, baby formula, nappies, buckets, jugs, blankets, matresses, cleaning stuff, stoves, medicine, urns for hot water, money to buy airtime so that people can contact their families, etc. If anyone with medical expertise can come volunteer - please call us now!!!
To find out what's most needed at the time of your donation, please contact Bongani on 0726483278, or IkamvaYouth on 021-3626799.
Our bank details are:
Bank: Standard Bank
Branch: Cape Town
Name of the account: Ikamva Lisezandleni Zethu
Account Number: 070188009
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
Thanks for your help!
Joy Olivier
IkamvaYouth
South Africa
+27 83 9513336
www.ikamvayouth.org
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