No child deserves to go to bed on a hungry stomach, children need to be nurtured and cared for. Gaisamang Mgijima a young and enthusiastic young woman decided to take an initiative to feed hungry children by creating #freeCupOfSoupForKids. The programme started on the 4th of June 2019, where by Gaisamang joined by her friend Dipuo Morokolo stood on the streets and gave away free soup to children in need.
The initiative is an after school programme that takes place at Ga-Rankuwa Zone 7 on Tuesdays to Thursdays afternoon after the children come back from school. Gaisamang said that the aim of this initiative was to feed those kids that do not have anything to eat when they get home from school. “There are children that cannot do their homework because of hunger, I have been in the same situation so I decided to help others with the little that I have”, said Gaisamang.
The young woman said that her challenge in starting the #Freecupofsoupforkids was fear, she feared how people in her community would take her seeing her standing in the street and offering children soup. Gaisamang said that the reason she chose the street that they use is because it’s a very busy road that most of the children in her community use when travelling to school and back. “Initially I wanted to sell Fatkoeks and soup, and then I asked myself why I am chasing money when I can chase happiness because seeing those kids happy makes me happy too”, said Gaisamang.
The feeding scheme does not have donors, on day three one community members donated some ingredients for the soup. The founders wish to extend this programme to the whole of Ga-Rankuwa to reach all the children that are in need, and see change in the community by ensuring that the children do not go to bed on an empty stomach. Their mesage to people out there is to please support their feeding scheme, and help them stop child hunger.These young women are brave for doing something their peers shy away from.
By: Amogelang Ramotsho
