17 October 2024
Zandile Mtungata is part of a project that tries to feed hungry children in Duncan Village, East London. Archive photo: Mike Loewe
Last month GroundUp reported how a woman in Duncan Village, East London, was making a huge effort to daily feed dozens of children in her community. Zandile Mtungata told us at the time: “When people come asking for food, whoa, I am happy I see the joy and hope. Because I am their hope, I am their hope.”
But Mtungata was battling. For one thing she needed a new stove. She complained of receiving very little assistance from government to provide food.
Following our article an organisation called the Lunchbox Fund in partnership with the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) committed to providing over one million meals until the end of 2025 to Mtungata’s outreach programme, which she calls Healing of Broken Souls, and Inenjongo, an after-school homework tutoring project also in Duncan Village.
Lunga Schoeman, programme manager for corporate social investment at the DBSA, stated: “From October until December 2025, a total of 1,099,440 meals will be served, ensuring that these children receive nourishing, warm meals daily.”
On Tuesday, Mtungata told GroundUp the food had not arrived on Monday, 7 October, as was stated in the email to GroundUp. This was reported to the fund and a day later the delivery was made.
Mtungata says she was visited a while ago by a representative of the fund and signed documents.
She was also visited for the first time by an official from the provincial Department of Social Development and encouraged to register her organisation at their offices in East London’s CBD four kilometres away.
“But I don’t have the money to go up and down,” she said.
Support has also continued with meals and a microwave from local evangelist Matthew Peake of Helping Those in Need.