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precinct living

ust before lunch on Wednesday estimation, 30-35% of the approximately who runs a programme called Bags of
20 May 2020, I helped a 5 000 residents are foreign.) “It’s better Love, has been arranging donations
Thabo Mbeki Jthe Dainfern area and local us who know the community, rather for the past 6 years. In light of the
that people donate through those of
group of volunteers from
for another programme in Thabo Mbeki
intensified hardships brought on by the
than trying to do it themselves,” he told
community workers unload two vans of
sandwiches, fruit, non-perishable food,
lockdown, she has arranged to collect
me. After all, as he rightly pointed out,
and distribute donations more often
“the cultures in Dainfern and Thabo
clothes, and masks into a community
Mbeki are not the same,” despite their
and to a wider array of organisations,
centre in Thabo Mbeki village, an
Village informal settlement situated between physical proximity. Working through local including Wheatfields Old Age Home
organisations, donors can ensure that
in Randfontein and Village of Joy
Lanseria Airport and Cosmo City. A third
van, full of children’s clothes and toys,
orphanage near Hartbeespoort.
their efforts benefit those most in need in
stopped around the corner to deliver
a safe and considered way.
Ceren Taygun, another resident, has
their load to MaLizzy’s crèche. As we
secured a donation of 7 000 mask kits
The three vans were loaded earlier
unpacked, the line of masked faces
DonaTion at the gate grew. Before long, one of that morning in the Dainfern Golf currently being sewn by a small group
the community workers was deployed
& Residential Estate, out of Susan
of dedicated sewers. These are added
Harwood’s garage which, by 10:30am,
to each week’s donations, which often
to make sure those in line adhered to
was packed wall to wall with boxes and
include lovingly knitted and crocheted
social distancing guidelines.
plastic bags for distribution. Susan,
baby blankets.
Mongi Mabadi, a community leader
in Thabo Mbeki who works with the
Heart-to-Heart NPC, supervised the
distribution of the donations. Mongi and
his team divided up the food, paying
attention to the diverse circumstances
of the various recipients. As active
citizens in the settlement, Mongi and
his team know which families are now
unemployed with children at home,
which people might not be receiving
any government assistance because
they aren’t South African, and which
individuals failed to show up for
whatever reason.
After the food was given out, families
who needed assistance were invited
to come and see what clothes fitted
them. “The recipients are very happy
to receive these donations,” Mongi said,
“especially those who are from out of
South Africa, and especially as winter
starts and it begins to get cold.” (By his
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