Residents from Westbury have been plagued for some time now by a spiraling trend of crime, drugs and gangsterism. Unemployment, poverty and domestic violence is also rife in the community.
Many of the households are child-headed households and the economic impact of Covid-19 has hit these families and households particularly hard.
Lolo Salisa, the head of Khanyisa Ikamvu Projects, (KIP), a local grass roots non-profit organisation who works with abused women and youth says they are actively involved in the area. “We work with Khanyisa Ikamvu Projects (KIP), a local non-profit company who works with abused women and youth. We focus on community development, girls and young people that have little to no income or that have lost their jobs. Most of the areas we support are where people live from hand to mouth,” says Salisa.
She says most of the time the organisation does not receive any funding and they support the community out of their own pockets.
KIP recently reached out to the solidarity fund and they were able to help us with 100 food parcels for marginalised families in the Westbury area. “Our target is to reach far more than 100, this is just what we were able to get now,” she says.
Salisa approached Fidelity ADT to assist with vehicles to transport the food and security while giving out the parcels in this volatile area. Natasha Springfield, Fidelity ADT Community Development Manager says Fidelity was happy to assist providing four SRU vehicles and supporting reaction officers to hand out food parcels to 100 youth/female headed households.
“We are hoping we will be able to offer more as we get more funding to support communities. We’re doing Westbury today but will continue in other areas that we have identified with the Sophiatown SAPS and CPF members,” she says.
Salisa says KIP have also reached out to the department of social development. The organisation has also been collecting clothing and are identifying shelters where there are children. “We appeal to anyone with kiddie’s clothes, books, blankets etc to giveaway to please contact us. We look specifically at grassroots shelters that do not usually get support.”
“I only wish we could give more. Covid- 19 is new and stressful for everybody and I believe the only way we can get through this is by coming together and supporting each other. We need to appreciate that some of us are more privileged than others. As a country we have been through so much and we need to pull together to help those who need help,” she concludes.
Anyone wishing to get in touch with KIP can Email: lvsaliso@gmail.com or Whatsapp Lolo Salisa on 082 447 4240..
ENDS