Feeding hungry tummies this Ramadaan

Invisible Hands also cooks and donates food in memory of the deceased.

Registered non-profit organisation, Invisible Hands, has set up base in Athlone and needs your help to cook 1 000 100-litre pots of food.

The NPO was established in 2015 in Wynberg and two weeks ago they moved into their new premises in Gleemoor Road, Athlone (opposite the Wembley Group).

Invisible Hands is a charity organisation which focuses on feeding the needy by cooking 100-litre pots of food that are distributed throughout the Western Cape. To date, since the start of lockdown in March 2020, the team delivered over 1.3 million warm, cooked meals.

The organisation is currently busy with their Ramadaan appeal project where they will cook 1000 100-litre pots of food up to, and including, Eid-ul Fitr, next month.

Riedwaan Amlay, co-ordinator at Invisible Hands, said that lots of funding is still required for their Ramadaan project but the support from the community and businesses has been amazing.

He said that Athlone is central for distributors and also a very established area with lots of businesses who support the cause.

“We are ordinary people trying to do extraordinary poverty relief in our community. Our team of volunteers, donors and distributors share the same vision. I must add that there are a lot of good people out there. Lots of local businesses and ordinary people in our midst who donate generously to our cause,” he said.

He said the team cooks a 100-litre pot of food for as little as R750, which feeds about 300 guests. For sustainability purposes, costs are kept as low as possible so feeding a child could cost about R2.50 a meal.

Mr Amlay urged the community to contribute in cash or ingredients to the noble cause.

“Everything we do is only by the will of the Almighty, We praise him for enabling us to fulfil this role in our community. We welcome any donations to this cause. We are a registered NPO and offer Section18A certificates for your donations. Together we can make a difference,” he said.

Invisible Hands plans to cook 1000 100-litre pots of food up to and including Eid day.

Community Police Forum chairwoman, Sharon Classen, said since the Covid-19 pandemic poverty had increased in Athlone and organisations like these bring much relief to the community who struggle to put food on the table. She said that children could not learn on empty tummies.

“A lot of schools in our areas need food for their pupils and organisations like these are always needed but if we can teach more skills to our people they will end up being able to feed themselves and earn a living,” she said.

Kewtown resident Aziza Hendricks, who is also a Lions Club member of Athlone, said every Saturday she is part of a huge amount of people who collect food from Invisible Hands to hand out to the community. She said that scores of people turn up on a Saturday morning from 6am to load their bakkies with 100-litre pots of food.

“This definitely helps the community. People wait on Saturday because they know the pots are coming. They (Invisible Hands) really do good work,” she said.