Donors experience

From twiki

I first became aware of Chintsa when our son and daughter-in-law were volunteering there for Volunteer Africa 32° South (VA32) in 2007. I knew that there was a large township which had a Primary School of about 200 children but few of them had access to electricity and the access to water was via a standpipe when water is available. Added to this was that there was obvious poverty and malnutrition among the families of the Township. Having taught in an Infant School for many years I felt an affinity with these children. We do not expect our children in the UK to sit through a school day when they are hungry. We provide milk at mid morning break as well as a meal service which is free to those families who find it difficult to pay. Our children then go home to houses where there is water and electricity and something to eat. By contrast Chintsa East Public School is a school where many children are hungry all day and may not have the chance to eat at home either.

In May 2009 I visited Chintsa East Public School and was invited to a committee meeting where the Chintsa Feeding Scheme for all the children was discussed. Plans were made for all aspects of the scheme from the food to be purchased to the employment of a cook. What was essential was funding! I returned to the UK determined to raise funds so that the scheme could go ahead. This was done in several ways. Firstly I asked our family members, friends and neighbours if they would consider giving money towards the scheme. This was either by monthly donations or by one off donations. Secondly I managed to talk to larger groups and collect donations from those groups. I also managed to get sponsorship from the school where I still worked part time. They adopted the Feeding Scheme as part of their Harvest Celebrations. Every year they collect for a charity and they agreed that Chintsa Feeding Scheme would be their charity for 2009. They raised an amazing amount which enabled the bowls and spoons to be purchased and for the scheme to get started.

I went back to Chintsa in March 2010 for a visit and saw how the Feeding Scheme was progressing. I went to the supermarket in East London where the bulky dry shopping was purchased such as sacks of Maize, Rice, Samp, Salt, Soya Mince etc were purchased about 250Kg altogether. It was not for the faint hearted and I will never again complain about supermarket shopping in UK. We took about 20 minutes to select the sacks of food required and then 2 and a half hours waiting in a queue with our 5 feet long flat bed trolley. This was just to go through the till and then through security! People around seemed used to such a long wait! We then delivered this to the school that afternoon and unloading it and carrying into the school was no mean feat either!

I also visited the school during the school day so that I could see the Feeding Scheme actually working. The 2 cooks were at work in the kitchen, which is a room behind the Reception classroom. There was no work top surface for them to use and they were cooking on a 3 burner frame supplied by bottled gas. They were almost ready to serve and they children were already lined up outside the kitchen door where wooden benches had been made ready to receive the hot pans. The children were well behaved and received their bowl of food and a spoon. They either ate at the tables set outside ready for them or at the side of the school building where there was a shady area. I did not see any child waste any food, which I often see in this country, and the children sat and ate without adult supervision yet were well behaved and took their empty food bowl to the large bowls of water ready to be washed. The sight was a humbling spectacle since we have so much and in our schools in the UK so much food goes to waste. I was impressed by the children’s behaviour as well as by the process of the delivery of the food. It was cleared away and put ready for the next day. The meals do not always contain meat but are nutritious. The dry food is bought 3 monthly but vegetables are bought weekly. Meat is bought when there is enough money to purchase it.

The next step is to provide the Feeding Scheme with regular donations either monthly or as one off donations so that it can continue to provide these children with a meal every day as we feed our children every day. If you feel moved to help this scheme, then please donate. Your money will be well used and appreciated.

If you are inspired to donate, then donations can be made here... click here