Steven Klukowski
KEETMANSHOOP – The United Reformed Church (Verenigde Gereformeerde Kerk) (VGK) in Krönlein, Keetmanshoop has been running a daily feeding programme for the past four years, caring for some elderly, vulnerable school children and impoverished members of the town’s community.
During an exclusive interview with New Era, Reverend Dawid Mouton, the head of the congregation explained they are currently providing meals once a day to more than 300 vulnerable school children from seven out of the nine schools in Keetmanshoop as a community project (soup kitchen), under the theme ‘a dignified live for all’. “We are seriously considering extending the project to weekends and public holidays since we fear these poor kids are suffering from hunger during these periods, but it all depends on the availability of donations which we will heartily welcome,” explained Mouton. The spiritual leader added the project initially started in 2015 providing meals once a week to the elderly and educationally challenged kids. “After carrying out a research in 2016, we learned that there are 295 vulnerable (hungry) schoolkids in Keetmashoop and this motivate us to include them also in the project,” he stated. Mouton said initially they provided meals to 15 kids once a week, but that the number increased to 300 within three weeks. “Although the project was funded that time with monthly financial offerings from members, some individuals within and outside the congregation realised our need for donations and started to answer to our call, hence we are no more using monies from the church,” he elaborated.
Apart from the soup kitchen, the church also embarked on other community projects such as the ‘dignity for girls’ project whereby vulnerable, poor girls are provided with sanitary pads and inspired through motivational speeches, the reverend explained. “Another project is called ‘buckets of hope’ whereby we identify elderly, vulnerable, poor families and terminally sick people, providing them with five to 10 baskets of non-perishable food items on a monthly base,” continued Mouton. The spiritual leader recommended that it could only serve in the best interest (safety) of these kids if the teachers can pick up the meals and hand it out at the schools, since some of the learners need to walk far distances to the feeding centre.
“It is only through the grace of our Heavenly Father that these projects became a reality and are still running,” the reverend stressed. He informed New Era that they intend to change this project from a congregational one to a community project.