Help for soup kitchen

Help for soup kitchen

A second year student at the University of Western Cape is calling on the broader community to support her by raising funds towards her soup kitchen in order to feed women and children at various clinics on the Cape Flats. 19 year old Fadielah Agherdien, who is currently donating soup and bread every Friday at a clinic in Grassy Park, said that as a student working at various clinics in Cape Town, there is a huge need for food to be donated at clinics, especially in underprivileged areas.

“The government gives medical attention to the less fortunate but what I have noticed is that no money was allocated for food,” she said. "When I was diagnosed with TB in February, I was treated at a clinic in Grassy Park and during this time I realized that many of these patients who came in every week were being treated but were not getting a proper meal during the day. This is when I decided that I need to do something to help out at the clinic."

Most of the patients who came in were women and children coming from underprivileged homes. “We ask ourselves why there are so many people who are sick? Or why is TB so provident. The thing is, if every needy person gets the necessary nutrition, the risk of infection would decrease tremendously.’’ She said that people need to acknowledge that TB and pneumonia are the most airborne diseases and are mostly found in rural and less fortunate environments.  “Bacteria grow in an immune suppressed person and if there is no food then there is no nutrition."

Agherdien said that with the support of family and friends she is able to feed over 200 patients every week. “At the moment, the ingredients are mostly being sponsored by relatives. I ask people on Facebook to help out with raising funds or sponsoring ingredients towards the pot of soup and this has also helped a lot, alhamdulilah. In order to sustain the soup kitchen I'd need ingredients for soup as well as bread or non-perishables. Even cash donations are welcome,” she urged.

Agherdien is currently donating at the Grassy Park clinic and would like to branch out to Lotus River and Retreat Day hospital as well. “If I have enough sponsors I could branch out to the other clinics as well. In order to eradicate the spread of infection we need to strengthen immune systems by providing sufficient food. This is just from a medical point of view, but imagine the reward one will receive from the Almighty. Just the thought of knowing that someone old or young that is less fortunate has had some food is just overwhelming.”

If you would like to know more on the soup kitchen or how you can contribute towards the initiative, please contact Fadielah Agherdien on 0733179964 or 0217053903. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)