A local non-profit organisation (NPO) is holding a clothing drive for children and families in need in the Kayamandi community. Thus far, they have collected four boxes and two bags of clothes and three bags of shoes in donations.
This is according to Zarah Nel, student social worker at Stellcare and the project planner of the drive.
Stellcare’s clothing drive calls on the Stellenbosch community to donate second-hand clothing to families in need in Kayamandi. “[We] have received donations from six people, but they are bags full of clothes, two boxes of clothes and three bags of shoes,” said Zarah Nel, student social worker and project planner of the clothing drive. “This weekend, I am receiving two more bags [of clothes], specifically kiddies clothes,” she stated. PHOTO: Supplied/Zarah Nel
The clothing collection started in early August and will run until 20 September, stated Nel.
“I started the project because I saw a need within the Kayamandi township for clothing, especially during the colder seasons,” she said.
The Stellenbosch community is encouraged to donate second-hand clothing at one of the two drop-off points in Kayamandi and Kuils River, stated Nel.
Protecting and empowering vulnerable children
Stellcare is a registered NPO that aims to protect, empower and care for vulnerable young children, according to the organisation’s website.
Stellcare’s head office is located on Helshoogte Road, Idas Valley, and it is a registered, non-profit organisation that has been caring for, protecting and empowering those who are vulnerable since 1916, according to its website. GRAPHIC: Andrea de Lilly
Their head office is in Idas Valley, with two other offices located in Kayamandi and Eerste River, according to Amanda Adams, the social worker supervisor at Stellcare’s Kayamandi office.
“[Nel] identified the clothing drive programme to help those that are in need regarding clothing and groceries. The target is mostly children, with a special focus on the family system,” said Nathi Mangxola, the social worker supervising Nel’s project, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
The amount of donations they have received thus far, has been “sufficient” to aid the families who will be receiving the donations, said Nel. They received more donations this past weekend, she said.
It’s not the gift, but the impact
Four to five families in Kayamandi will be catered for with the donations from this drive, said Nel.
When the drive is complete, the families in need will be invited to a short programme at the office for the handover of clothes, said Mangxola.
An organisation that gives back
“We always have people in need of bedding, blankets, sheets and clothes,” said Amanda Adams, the social worker supervisor at Stellcare’s office in Kayamandi. Guest houses often donate their bedding to Stellcare, said Adams. PHOTO: Andrea de Lilly
Throughout the year, the NPO receives clothing donations and then sells it for a small amount to community members that can afford it, explained Adams. Stellcare then uses this money to buy essentials like milk and nappies for their children.
However, when there is a family that is unable to afford it and is “in need of care, resources or material things, then we equip them with what they need”, she said.
Stellcare regularly receives donations this time of the year, said Adams. As the end of the year approaches, university students move out of their hostels and residences and “they donate their [clothing] to our offices, and then we distribute it where it is needed”, she explained.