Members of Bana Pele Forum turned into Good Samaritans on Thursday when they arranged a soup kitchen for job-seeking men who always gather at the corner of Solomon Mahlangu and Pretoria Roads in the CBD of Pretoria.
Chairperson of the forum Brenda Mahlangu, alias Mama B, told Tshwane Talks that the initiative to set up the one-day soup kitchen for job-seekers arose from their observation of men who stand at street corners around Tshwane on a daily basis looking for odd jobs, commonly known as (matogo).
“We then decided that the job-seeking men deserve some hand-outs in the form of food, because many of them are hungry and don’t have provisions (padkos) to eat as they continue to wait hopefully for someone to come and offer them an employment opportunity,” said Mahlangu.
“The soup kitchen initiative is part of our broader mission to do something good for the community each and every Mandela Day,” explained Mahlangu.
She said the mission was initiated in 2022 and its aim is to put aside their own needs and hardships as members of Bana Pele Forum, think about the needs of other needy people and give back to the community the little that they have.
“Last year on Mandela Day we went to the local old age home where we showered the elderly citizens with gifts,” she said.
“Although for this year’s Mandela Day we didn’t have any funds at all to do something good for the community, we managed to join hands and pulled a few rands together to buy soup and bread for the jobseekers and make a huge difference in their lives,” said Mahlangu.
“We talked to them and assured them that we acknowledge their plight as job-seekers; that they are not alone in their endeavours to find work but have our support as the forum; that God loves them; that we see them and are not ignoring then; that we care about them as members of the forum and of the community and that we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers so that God would give them the jobs that they are looking for one day,” enthused Mahlangu.
Member of Batho Pele Forum Johanna Senyane told Tshwane Talks that she is happy that the soup kitchen initiative went very well.
“The job-seekers indicated that they walk to the corner of Pretoria Road and Solomon Mahlangu Road every day to seek odd jobs like painting, plastering, plumbing and gardening,” explained Senyane.
“Besides lacking transport money, they are always hungry and in most cases don’t know if they will have anything to eat on any given day,” she said.
“The job-seekers really appreciated what Bana Pele Forum has done for them via the soup kitchen initiative,” she said.
Senyane said though Bana Pele Forum is an NPO which in itself needs charitable help, members of the forum took it upon themselves to help others who are needy in the community.
“Bana Pele Forum is a Mamelodi East-based NPO made up of 26 principals of various pre-schools in the area,” said Senyane