NGQELE, MIDDLEDRIFT — A small yard in Ngqele village has become a vital safety net for vulnerable residents after a string of food thefts exposed the depth of hunger in this Eastern Cape community.
Food thefts prompted a local response
Sixty‑two‑year‑old Nodumo Mashiyane began cooking for those who could not afford a daily meal in 2021, using her own funds after noticing that stolen items were predominantly food. GroundUp reported that she registered Ngqele Youth Development as a vehicle to seek funding, but the kitchen continues to operate largely on Mashiyane’s personal resources and community contributions.
“Most of the things being stolen were food,”
GroundUp reported Mashiyane’s observation that those caught taking food often came from households headed by children, or from grandchildren caring for elderly relatives. The soup kitchen targets elderly people, children heading households, people living with disabilities and struggling families.
How the service operates
Mashiyane prepares meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, cooking over firewood that she buys herself, although residents collect wood to assist when they can. She encourages beneficiaries to collect meals from her yard but also delivers to those who are unable to walk.
When GroundUp visited the site on a Friday, beneficiaries were eating bowls of samp and beans with vegetables and gravy in Mashiyane’s yard. Among them was 78‑year‑old Thandekile Matha, who relies on the meals so he does not have to take chronic medication on an empty stomach.
Local impact and personal stories
Nomabhongo Mini, a carer who lives with a frail, immobile mother, told GroundUp the food has provided much‑needed relief for households under pressure. Many beneficiaries, GroundUp reported, are unemployed and unable to meet both caregiving responsibilities and basic food needs.
The soup kitchen highlights the intersection of food insecurity, ageing and child‑headed households in rural Eastern Cape: when adults are absent or unable to provide, older relatives and children bear the burden of care.
Practical details for residents
- Where: Mashiyane’s yard, Ngqele village, Middledrift
- When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
- Who benefits: elderly people, people living with disabilities, children heading households and struggling families
Residents who cannot collect food are reportedly visited at home. Mashiyane also accepts help with firewood collection and small donations, but GroundUp reported she is still seeking sustainable funding through the youth development organisation she registered.
Broader context
The soup kitchen is one of many community‑level responses across the Eastern Cape to persistent food insecurity. National and provincial statistics show high unemployment and poverty levels in parts of the province, which increase reliance on informal and community food provision. While local NGOs, churches and community groups provide relief, those efforts often depend on few individuals, leaving services vulnerable if those people can no longer sustain them.
Registering Ngqele Youth Development could open doors to funding and partnerships, but the process of securing steady support can be slow. In the meantime, the kitchen continues to meet immediate needs for those who would otherwise miss meals.
What this means for Middledrift
The initiative demonstrates practical solidarity but also underlines the lack of formal support reaching small rural communities. For health and dignity, ensuring that chronically ill patients do not take medication on an empty stomach is crucial — a need Mashiyane has had to fill out of necessity.
Local government, non‑profits and donors can take practical steps to sustain such services: routine food donations, assistance with fuel or firewood, and linking the registered youth organisation to food‑security programmes could help secure the soup kitchen’s future.
| Service | Details |
|---|---|
| Days of operation | Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays |
| Main beneficiaries | Elderly, child‑headed households, people with disabilities |
| Cooking method | Firewood (purchased and collected locally) |
The efforts of Mashiyane and those who help her show how local action mitigates immediate hardship. As GroundUp reported, community members rely on this modest kitchen not only for nourishment but for the stability it offers amid wider social and economic pressures.
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