Grassroots feeding scheme starts in New Culture amid winter pressures
An unemployed mother in the Mitchells Plain area has begun a small-scale feeding scheme to provide warm meals to children and older residents in the New Culture informal settlement, a neighbourhood described in source reporting as located between Swartklip and Mitchells Plain.
Michelle Walker, who lives in New Culture with her husband, said the couple are funding the initiative themselves while they wait for official paperwork for a non-profit organisation (NPO) she has registered. Walker said the NPO, Strive New Culture Organisation, was launched on Monday, 10 August.
“We live in an informal settlement in Khayelitsha, right? We are between Swartklip and Mitchells Plain. New Culture. We’ve been living here for two years now and I saw the need to open a feeding scheme for children and the elderly,”
Walker said she and her husband, named in reporting as Jason Sidney Walker, had chosen to start the scheme because they saw local need. Jason works part-time and sometimes receives help from his employer, she said, but most of the feeding is currently paid for out of their own means and by occasional donations from neighbours.
- Target beneficiaries: children and older people in New Culture informal settlement
- Current funding: personal funds of the Walkers, occasional donations and occasional help from Jason’s employer
- Organisational status: NPO launched as Strive New Culture Organisation; official paperwork pending
Walker told reporters she took the first steps towards formalising the project after seeking guidance from the provincial department of social development. She said the aim is not only to provide meals but to set an example for her children about community responsibility.
The initiative underlines the continued pressure on households in parts of Mitchells Plain and neighbouring settlements as winter deepens. Local residents have long reported reliance on community-led food relief alongside municipal and provincial support during colder months and periods of economic strain.
Community feeding schemes such as the one started by Walker typically face challenges including sustainable funding, food supply logistics, food safety standards and meeting compliance requirements for registered NPOs. By launching an NPO, Walker is following a route many grassroots organisers take to access formal donor support, apply for grants and build partnerships with civic groups or NGOs.
| Detail | Known information |
|---|---|
| Location | New Culture informal settlement (between Swartklip and Mitchells Plain) |
| Founders | Michelle Walker and her husband, Jason Sidney Walker |
| Beneficiaries | Children and the elderly |
| Organisational status | Strive New Culture Organisation launched; paperwork pending |
Local residents and civic groups in Mitchells Plain have historically played a significant role in supplementing government-provided services where gaps exist. While provincial social development offices can advise on registration and compliance, long-term viability of feeding schemes usually depends on steady funding, volunteer capacity and food supply chains.
For now, Walker’s scheme operates as a small but concrete response to hardship in her immediate neighbourhood. She said the couple hope the community will continue to support the project with donations and that formal registration will open doors to broader assistance.
The modest initiative highlights how residents in and around Mitchells Plain continue to respond to need through local organising even as official services contend with budget, capacity and logistical constraints.
