Meals on Wheels; A Lifeline to the Masses

Every Thursday around 13:00, the Wheels on Meals minivan blares an incessant, yet eagerly anticipated hoot through the gustblown streets of Colesberg’s Zwelitsha Location. Play ceases in these untarred streets as children scurry for their lunchboxes, racing one another to join what will pretty soon unfold into a tedious queue. 

In dribs and drabs the youths, elderly, a colourful motley of people – plates and bowls in hand – emerge for a serving of a nourishing meal. Last time pilchards, rice and vegetables were on the menu. Today, the familiar aroma of umngqusho – well-flavoured and steaming – will sustain all 80 or so people who’ve turned out. So too the oranges handed out to the little ones.

Founded nearly six decades ago, Meals on Wheels was the brainchild of Dr Dennis Baird, a kindhearted, assiduous missionary honouring his clerical duties across the weather-beaten townships of East London. “Inspired by the plight of EL’s elderly population,” board secretary, Mbulelo Kafi tells us, “it started out delivering meals door to door to them.”

In 2003 a certain Pastor Williams of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church brought the initiative to Colesberg, catering initially to day care centers and parts of the township community. Those early days were humble. Low-paid volunteers walking around bearing huge pots, posting themselves in various posts across the township. They had no  transportation and there was an ever increasing number of people to be fed. 

Despite the myriad stumbling blocks, Mrs Nete who now runs the project and Mbulelo Kafi pulled off the unexpected – winning the Sowetan community builder of the year award in 2010. Things were starting to look up when the Meals on Wheels area office contributed the now ubiquitous project’s Nissan bakkie. 

Nowadays they are feeding at least 150 people a day, employing two cooks, a driver and an admin lady. With some 6000 people from impoverished backgrounds enjoying the pleasure of a freshly-cooked meal per month, Meals on Wheels are living up to their motto: Fighting hunger in South Africa. 

Also from a global perspective, the project is consistent with the United Nations millennium goals which list “[eradicating] extreme poverty and hunger” as of utmost priority. Of course in the bigger scheme of things one meal per week hardly puts a dent to the greater problem of poverty, unemployment and inequality. To effectively fight poverty or hunger requires sustainable solutions where affected communities are empowered enough to “vuk’uzenzele” – do it for themselves, as it were. But that one precious meal in places where people are sometimes seen scouring the surrounding veldt for “umfino” – wild spinach – is nothing to turn one’s nose up at. Projects like Meals on Wheels serve as an immediate lifeline to those who are in dire need, as in right now.

Driven “by Christian principles,” says Kafi, “we believe this is what Christ would’ve done.” Dependent on the generosity of private donors, Kafi is appealing to the local community’s better graces to donate whatever they are able to keep the lights on and the show going. Anything from money, food, blankets or sanitary towels. Do call him at 065 641 8125. Or you can reach Mrs Nete at 078 018 9646