Feedy Needy Bringing Bright Smiles, a non-profit organisation in Phoenix, recently assisted differently-abled persons with wheelchairs.
This follows their fund-raising wheelchair campaign to purchase and distribute the wheelchairs.
Reena Rampersad, the public relations officer, said the organisation was established in 2012.
“It was founded by Mahomed Zaied Mahomed Haniff, who felt a need to inculcate education and training and to ensure that children do not go to school hungry. He also wanted to ensure children had the basic tools for the academic year, hence our annual Back-to-School campaign. The late Haniff believed education was key to breaking the cycle of poverty.”
At the time of its establishment, the organisation was responding to a lack of essential, basic necessities, including food.
“A number of people whom we helped went to bed hungry. Without reservation, decisions were made to feed the community.”
Although it is a registered non-profit organisation, they are not government funded and work on donations and volunteer assistance.
“We are based in Phoenix but also serve other communities in KZN that are poverty-stricken. In addition, we run care centres, shelters, homes for the aged and abandoned, and provide assistance to the physically and intellectually impaired. We mostly assist children and seniors.
“We provide grocery hampers, wheelchairs, walkers, adult and baby diapers, milk formula, stationery and school essentials through fund-raising projects to fulfil our social responsibility.”
She said there was on ongoing need for mobility aids such as wheelchairs.
“We try our best to incorporate and create awareness around the urgency for the aid of wheelchairs, walkers, bedpans, walking sticks, clutches and diapers. Due to underlying conditions such as diabetes, for example, we have identified amputees both young and old who seek assistance in this regard. Children with autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome need assistance. Everything is costly and even with social grants, it is difficult for them to maintain or sustain themselves. Creating awareness is necessary and people need to be aware of their social responsibilities and the dire need in our community.”
The organisation will host, among others, wheelchair campaigns and food hamper distributions to sustain families over the festive period. There will also be a back-to-school drive. Their outreach areas include Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat, Newcastle, the North and South Coast of Durban, Pietermaritzburg and KwaMashu.
For information, email [email protected] or [email protected], call 031 824 6501, or WhatsApp 061 497 8240.