As part of its Mandela Day initiative, tech-enabled, non-profit organisation ChangeMakersHub is inviting 30 businesses to donate R5,000 each, which it will then match to buy over 15 tons of ingredients to distribute 67,000 meals.
ChangeMakersHub provides a platform to profile non-profit organisations and causes and in the last 14 weeks, in response to the need during the hunger pandemic, the Hub has provided more than 100,000 meals, 17 tons of clothing, 2,600 litres of sanitiser, over 2,400 masks and other much-needed relief. This has been collected, packed by volunteers and distributed to social entrepreneurs across the Western Cape. “They are the real heroes’ on the ground,” says ChangeMakersHub founder Michelle Korevaar.
“It’s been a massive endeavour, but every action added up to the very tangible difference that was made,” says Korevaar. “The sheer number of citizens, brands and companies that came forward to help has been unprecedented. Around R1m worth of goods has been distributed.”
The platform’s team believes that by standing together and inviting more participants to come on board, the achievements of the last 14 weeks can be done in one week. “It’s an opportunity for businesses to create social impact and catalyse their communities and staff to make a very real difference,” says Korevaar. “Eight companies that are themselves in financial stress, have already donated to us for the Mandela Day project. Madiba said that it always seems impossible until it’s done, we have shown what can be done when we all pull together and we’re now aiming to take that inspiration and make it a further reality in this special month.”
Over 100 beneficiary feeding communities in the Western Cape from Atlantis to Dunoon to Joe Slovo to Phoenix to Brooklyn, Bonteheuwel, Mitchells Plain, Lavender Hill and Khayelitsha will all be gifted with soup packs to cook up for their vulnerable communities.
