A PRE-SCHOOL teacher from Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, has set up a soup kitchen for street kids living in the central business district (CBD).
Nobuhle Ncube (28) said she was inspired by her own life experiences to help the needy.
“If I am to be honest, I have been fortunate in life. I did not grow up rich, but I had a home and a family. I always ate hot meals and slept in warm blankets. I can’t imagine the opposite,” Ncube told NewsDay.
“The vegetables that make up the ingredients are all a product of my hands. Fortunately I have green hands. Twice a week I harvest and cook either isitshwala or rice with vegetables and then distribute the food in the CBD.”
Ncube, who grows her vegetables at a rented garden in Kingsdale, said her philanthropic work is aimed at fighting crime in the city.
“This activity is not only meant to fight poverty, but it attacks crime and reduces its rate. Some of the street kids who end up engaging in theft are usually pushed by hunger. They have nowhere to go and nobody to turn to. Some are not on the streets by choice after all.
“While I appreciate that twice a week is not enough, it is a start. I call upon the rest of the residents to join in. If 20 more people join, can you imagine the impact this movement will have? Others say it encourages laziness, but I don’t think so. If you move to George Silundika Avenue you will see that some of the boys are self-employed through car wash services. So you can give them a tip of a plate of food on top,” she added.
Matabeleland Human Rights Institute director Khumbulani Maphosa hailed Ncube’s gesture.
- Teacher sets up soup kitchen for street kids
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“I think it’s a general right across the globe, but unfortunately things are what they are. We appreciate people like Ncube who make it their mandate to contribute positively to the wellbeing and recognition of human rights,” Maphosa said.
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