THREE hundred families in Kuruman in the Northern Cape have received food parcels after facing severe floods in recent weeks.
According to Imitiaz Sooliman, Gift of the Givers teams commenced the 11-hour journey from Cape Town on Wednesday carrying humanitarian supplies for villagers having experienced the worst flood since 1974.
“When the teams arrived on Thursday they were told that many of the families were unable to reach by road.”
Sooliman said Nicky and Jonathan Oppenheimer wasted no time in offering their helicopter to deliver the food parcels at no cost.
He said teams were able to visit seven villages.
Speaking on the intervention, Jonathan and Nicky Oppenhemier said “We are proud of the collaborative efforts that have been made by the Fireblade Aviation team and Gifts of the Givers to support the people of Kuruman in this time of need. The Northern Cape has been important to us for many years and we are delighted to have been able to assist.”
Sooliman said their pilot, Johnny de Lange, worked with Gift of the Givers in Cyclone Idai in Mozambique in 2019.
Sooliman said each family received blankets, food parcels and hygiene products.
He said this would feed each family for a month.
Sooliman said because they were able to deliver the parcels by air, they could increase the size of the food parcels, so each family received a 10kg rice, maize and food parcel consisting of basic food requirements like sugar, tinned fish and baked beans.
Sooliman said they were working in close co-ordination with Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul, MEC for Social Development, Topsy Vilakazi, and executive mayor of John Taolo Gaetsewe District, Sofia Mosikatsi.
“Today we have sent another 500 food parcels at the request of the mayor.”
Supplies were “generously sponsored by Woolworths, Makro and TFG.”
IOL