Glass bottles, filled with various dry ingredients – all for a good cause.
Kouga Municipality is on a mission to collect at least 670 bottles of “Keep Kouga Caring” for families in need over the next three weeks in celebration of Mandela Day on Sunday, July 18.
Each bottle will contain rice, soup mix, lentils, soup power and a stock cube – enough to provide a warm meal for a family of four.
“The municipality has launched a competition for staff and councillors, aimed at supporting food relief projects that assist residents, whose income has been affected by COVID-19 and who struggle to put food on the table,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks.
“Each and every employee and councillor has been challenged to donate as many empty glass coffee bottles and dry ingredients as possible.”
According to Hendricks, each bottle of “Keep Kouga Caring” will ensure at least one warm meal for a family of four.
“The directorate that donates the most bottles and ingredients will be crowned the Community Champion,” said Hendricks.
Hendricks said thousands of Kouga households had been struggling to put food on their tables due to the lockdown restrictions.
“The municipality and community-based projects helped to feed more than 25 000 people across Kouga during the first 35 days of the COVID-19 lockdown,” Hendricks added.
“In October 2020, the municipality joined hands with six soup kitchens, most of which were established during the COVID-19 lockdown, to help address the escalating shortage of food in homes – benefiting more than 1 000 residents.
“The bottles of ‘Keep Kouga Caring’ donated by municipal employees and councillors, will allow us to add to these efforts and reach even more people.
”According to Hendricks, he is very proud of the staff members for initiating the drive and showing their hearts truly belong to Kouga and its people. “May the best directorate win!”
How residents can help
Residents and businesses can help by donating empty coffee bottles and ingredients for the soup mixture.
Each bottle of “Keep Kouga Caring” will contain the following ingredients:
- ½ cup of rice
- ½ cup of soup mix or split peas
- ½ cup of lentils
- 1 stock cube
- 1 sachet of soup powder
- Optional: pasta or samp
Donations can be dropped off at the Jeffreys Bay Municipality office at 33 Da Gama Road between 08:00 and 16:00 from Monday to Friday – for attention Monique Basson.
“Each donation, whether it is one bottle or more, will help to make a difference,” said Hendricks.
For more information, or to arrange collection, contact Monique Basson at 082 219 9169.
