Spreading festive cheer with 200 nutritious food buckets at Tygerberg Hospital

Parents at the Tygerberg hospital receiving food from SA Harvest. (Photo: Siyabonga Goni)

20 Dec 2024

SA Harvest has brought joy to mothers and fathers of children who are in treatment at the Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape after they hand out 200 buckets of nutritious food on Friday as part of Daily Maverick and SA Harvest’s nationwide donation campaign.

On Friday, 20 December 2024, parents and patients who are at Tygerberg Hospital undergoing treatment were delighted and overjoyed to receive 200 buckets of nutritious food as part of Daily Maverick and SA Harvest’s festive season donation drive to help families whose children had been admitted to hospital.

This is the second year that SA Harvest and Daily Maverick have joined forces to feed needy families during the festive season. Last year, the project provided enough food to feed 2,000 families for six weeks.

This year, in collaboration with SA Harvest, we are asking you to help us feed families that have suffered a medical emergency.

Leticia Peters, 46, has been at hospital with her 3-year-old son who was diagnosed with cancer about two months ago.

“The whole of October we were in the hospital because he had two infections, but it’s traumatising for them, because he has to have drips all the time and the little bodies don’t know those things. However, we are grateful for what we got here,” said Peters.

Parents at Tygerberg Hospital queue to receive food from SA Harvest. (Photo: Siyabonga Goni)

Stanley Saaiman, a father of another 3-year-old who has been diagnosed with cancer said it was hard but he was pleased to have the nutritious food.

“It is nice to receive food now and then. I am the only one working at home, my wife can’t work because she is always at the hospital,” said Saaiman.

Shimi Benya, from Khayelitsha, the mother of a child who is receiving treatment at the hospital, was emotional and grateful to SA Harvest for the food.

“I am thankful for receiving this gift because I had absolutely nothing, I did not even have food at home,” she said.

Read more: SA Harvest and Daily Maverick unite to deliver hope with nutritional buckets in Gqeberha

Millandrewlee Goliath, a parent whose child has been at the hospital for more than two weeks, said she had not expected the food.

“I am very glad for this bucket, and if I can’t use it I will give it to someone who can use it,” said Goliath.

How to donate

We still need your help. Like last year, food insecurity remains rife in South Africa and families, already vulnerable due to high food costs, are left more vulnerable when suffering a medical emergency.

At Daily Maverick, we believe in the power of people, not politicians. You can help to give our sick and injured children a fighting chance.

Use this link for donations.

Readers can also use SA Harvest’s bank details to contribute. Please add DM after your surname as a reference.

Bank details

Bank: FNB

Account number: 62693490478

Branch code: 255955

Branch name: Randpark Ridge

For a R500 donation, you can bless a family with a child in hospital with a bucket containing 5kg of super maize, 400g of peanut butter, salt, 2kg of rice, 100g of mutton soya mince, a packet of soup powder, a tin of pilchards, a tin of baked beans, a tin of mixed vegetables, instant maize porridge, heat-and-eat soup, split peas, samp and jam.

You do not have to donate the full R500 — any donation will be welcomed and used to buy buckets of nutrition for this initiative. Please mark your donation with the reference “Buckets”.

If you would like to send a message of support with your bucket (or donation) please email Estelle at [email protected] with your proof of payment and your message. DM

Read more about Buckets of Nutrition here.

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How to donate