Food Distribution Schemes in light of COVID -19: Successes and challenges clarified
The economic effects of COVID-19 such as disruption of household’s incomes have resulted in parents and guardians’ failure to provide for their children’s nutritional needs leading to starvation and a rise in abject poverty.
By Minenhle Moyo
These adverse effects have led to an increase in the number of children living in the streets and child headed families. There has been a surge in the number of companies closing down, while some companies continue to retrench workers in the wake of operational challenges and high costs that have befallen them.
Thousands of people are now at the mercy of food or cash assistance from the government, Non-Governmental Organizations, churches and other well-wishers. Such has not been an easy task for these institutions as millions of lives still depend on food aid or charity in view of the hardships the country is currently facing. Over the months there has been the mushrooming of soup kitchens at designated locations, with business individuals spearheading some of the programs to help vulnerable children.
Last month, two business women based in Bulawayo initiated a feeding program which saw children from Pumula East being beneficiaries. The large numbers of children in need of food has posed challenges to these well-wishers as they find they sometimes struggle with sourcing enough resources to prepare meals for these children.
Mrs. Emma Nxumalo who started a feeding program for underprivileged children late last month said the response from the Pumula community has been overwhelming as more children than anticipated have been coming for the meals. She said this has been the biggest challenge and needed more resources to feed every child who came to the program.
“The biggest challenge that I have been having is that more and more children have been coming to eat, whereas I had initially planned to feed 100 children every week. We need more mealie meal, and vegetables in order to be able to feed all the children who receive aid from us,” she said.
Patricia Tshabalala who runs Vulindlela Children’s Home also shared the same views by stating that resource mobilization has been challenging as the quantity of resources does not tally with the number of children who come for help.
“The task that we have is not an easy one. There are a lot of children who need food assistance. But with these economic hardships it is very hard. Most of the times I end up taking my own food just to make sure that every child does not go to sleep on an empty stomach.”
“Sometimes we get help from people in the diaspora who give us finances that we use to buy food and clothes for the children but we still lack because the number of children who need our help is too big,” said Tshabalala.
The government of Zimbabwe through the Social Welfare Department has been helping vulnerable families with food humpers and cash.
Mr. Faneul Dzoma, a Social Welfare Provincial Officer said the government has been helping hundreds of families with financial assistances which he said was meant to look after children at homes.
“Our department has been disbursing funds to families who are underprivileged and those with income that has been affected by the lockdown. We have been giving families 100 to 700 RTGS depending on the kind of need the family has.”
“This money is supposed to cushion families through these trying times and we expect children to be taken care of using these funds,” he said.
Society needs more actors in the business fraternity, government departments and private stakeholders who can ease the burdens that affect their neighbours especially in ensuring food security for members of the community.