Four million meals served to needy, claims charity

A Belgravia charity says it has served four million meals to the needy across Cape Town over the past four years.

According to Joe Spaza, who founded Invisible Hands, a non-profit organisation, they started feeding the less fortunate from his Wynberg home during Covid in March 2020 and on Saturday April 6, they prepared their four millionth meal.

The charity distributed food four times a week, said Mr Spaza, reaching Bonteheuwel, Delft, Parkwood, Belhar, Mitchell’s Plain, Langa and many more areas. The biggest food distribution was done on Saturdays with more than one hundred 100-litre pots of food prepared, he said.

Mr Spaza said hunger was a growing problem in Cape Town.

“We say shukran to Allah first for affording us the opportunity to do this, then to our sponsors who keep our pots filled, and our families who support us.”

He also thanked those who helped to distribute the food to the communities where it was needed.

“If every family can buy a bread and put something on that bread and give it to the poor it will take some pressure off feeding schemes.”

Ashraf Aranes, who distributes the food in Mitchell’s Plain, and Philippi, said: “I’ve known Joe for more than 20 years. I started feeding out of my own pocket during Covid-19 when I saw the need for food in communities. People had nothing. I saw a post on Facebook and reached out to Joe, and we started distributing food. We now distribute food to about 500 people per day.”

Waleed Sables distributes food to 300 people in Bishop Lavis, Elsies River, Brooklyn, and Mitchell’s Plain.

“Allah has granted us the opportunity to be part of something so amazing. It makes us so emotional and uplifts our spirits. It is a joy and blessing to be part of Invisible Hands. It brings a smile to the faces of the young and old,” he said.