Soshanguve Mall has undertaken the initiative to further its community support efforts by providing nutritious meals to social grant beneficiaries.
The initiative occurs on social grant days for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. It includes providing food to those in long queues and assisting them in ensuring they do not take their medications on an empty stomach.
Douglas Mkhoto, Marketing Manager at Soshanguve Mall, stated that the morning meal is provided on grant days as part of a programme aimed at easing the burden for people to have their meals and take their medication effectively, without concerns about lengthy queues.
“We aim to close that gap by offering food, enabling them to take their medication while waiting in line for their grants.”
“They tend to take their medication on an empty stomach, which can have very negative consequences.”
“The initiative has led to a decrease in the number of elderly individuals fainting from starvation while waiting in queues for their grants,”
The initiative has reduced the number of elderly fainting from starvation while on ques waiting for their grants.
Mkhonto further emphasised that the initiative has been one of the programmes receiving praise from residents, highlighting its significant role in assisting the community.
This warm care they provide is their way of giving back to the community, expressing gratitude for the support shown in utilising their facilities to collect their grant.
Each month, they distribute various food items such as sandwiches, packs of fruits, and hygiene kits.
They also have a programme called “Winter Warmer,” where they provide cooked meals such as soup, minced meat, and chicken for the three months of June, July, and August. The Winter Warmer also includes scarves, fleece blankets, and beanies.
“Winter is starting next month, and we have already put things in place, like fleece blankets, because they will be queuing outside, and that means they will be exposed to the cold,” said Douglas Mkhoto.
“It’s only Soshanguve Mall’s initiative, funded solely by our budget. There is no external support for this project; it comes directly from our own CSI project budget,”
“But any stakeholder interested in what we are doing is welcome to collaborate with us. Together, we can work to touch as many lives as possible,” added Mkhoto.
