Introduction
Ethembeni is a registered non-profit organisation. Our focus is community-care and upliftment through our various projects. We specifically focus on the disadvantaged communities and informal settlements in and around our large metros as well as deep rural settlements.
Our programmes include the following:
Feeding Program
Feeding just over 300 000 children monthly at various schools throughout Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the North West Province. We have 37 food distribution points in total.
Early Child Development
Early childhood development programmes with LEGO’s "6 Brick Learning System".
Adopt a School
A project where businesses, involved with us, are challenged to help repair school infrastructure, so that a pleasant, comfortable and safe learning environment is created. This includes repairs, upgrades and extensions.
Aid Relief & Food Security
We have had a successful Aid relief and food security Program through which tens of thousands of people are reached every month.
Clothing & Blankets
Clothing and blanket distribution projects during the cold winter months.
Agriculture and Skills
Agricultural Development and skills training with our partners, Humanitarian Empowerment Fund NPC and ABBA Initiatives.
One of our largest success stories is our feeding programmes.
In early 2018 we built a food distribution centre in Roodepoort, Johannesburg. Our objective was to feed the children attending schools which are attached to informal settlements as these families are considered to be the poorest of the poor living in terrible conditions. For the last two years we have been providing I nutritious soup and bread as a meal to thousands of children at the schools on a daily basis. We have had many beautiful stories from teachers and children at the schools where our involvement is literally keeping Kids alive as the average income is so low that the parents budget our meals to the children as part of their monthly income. We feed throughout the school holidays. Our soup mix consists of vegetables and a vitamin enriched soup powder. We do the processing, packaging and distribution, and the community mom assists to cook for the kids at the schools. Although the South African government has feeding arrangements in place at schools throughout the country, they are extremely inconsistent and most of the Schools only receive lunch.
Programmes
Nation School Feeding Program
We have two food processing facilities in Gauteng and in Mpumalanga. We are currently feeding 1.2 million meals per annum in Gauteng alone and will by the end of this year I have a similar number in Mpumalanga. We mainly feed into schools and crèches within all connected to informal settlements. At most of the schools, our meal, which is a warm and nutritious cup of soup served with bread is the first meal of the day for more than 90% of the children. The soup is a thick chicken vegetable soup with fresh vegetables processed at our food processing facilities. The bread comes from our donors mentioned in our partners list. we have many beautiful testimonials from teachers and parents from the schools, testifying of the children’s increased ability to concentrate in the classrooms. Thank you to all our donors and volunteers for your generous contributions. Together we are feeding the future.
Early Child Development
In 2019 we were thrilled to use our feeding platform and existing relationships to distribute a large donation of LEGO from the Lego foundation and LEGO south Africa. Through this we launched our 6 brick ECD program. Much time and effort has gone into this program and has shown tremendously positive results with beautiful feedback from teachers, principals and kids alike.
Food Security - Aid Relief
During the COVID-19 pandemic we were able to distribute approximately 400 tons of maize to some of the poorest communities we could find. We distributed in four different provinces approximately 13 interlinks of maize which forms part of the staple diet for most South Africans. We have also distributed more than 30,000 food parcels. This between our bases in Johannesburg and White River.
Agriculture
We are embarking on a massive agricultural project with our partner Humanitarian Empowerment Fund (HEF) in Kromdraai Gauteng. We are rolling out a sustainable agricultural project through which 400 families will be able to sustain themselves through the use and sale of rotating vegetable crops in both community and back yard gardens. We are installing rehabilitating boreholes in the area a connecting this to a complete irrigation solution for our project.
Our Partners
We would like to thank our partners for their tremendous support through this very difficult COVID-19 year. It has been incredible to see how the community took hands in support of our efforts to reach and support the poor communities most affected by the instability that has crippled our nation. I would like to thank:
Contact Us
Physical Address:
Cnr. Hendrik Potgieter and Falls Roads
Little Falls, Roodepoort, South Africa 1724
Office:
011 958-1250
Donate
Bank Account:
Ethembeni Place of Hope
ABSA Bank
Acc no: 4063356686
Branch code: 632005
SWIFT Code: ABSAZAJJ
Online facility will be available soon.