“We live in parallel universes and the inequality and hopelessness is palpable”.
This is how SAJBD Gauteng Council member David Cohen describes the situation in Riverlea, a poverty-stricken, mainly coloured suburb in south-western Johannesburg. The community there is one of those that is being assisted through the CAN (Community Action Network) Initiative, in terms of which a group of people – it could be a study group, book club or simply a group of friends - works together to assist people in need, particularly in alleviating hunger.
Through the Waverley CAN an urgent relief initiative to assist Riverlea residents in desperate straits as a result of the lockdown has been headed up by David, along with Joe Greenstein. According to Beryl Jengals a social worker who showed them around the area, the Riverlea community is known for its extremely high unemployment rate (80%). It further has among the highest levels of serious crime in South Africa, including child trafficking, rape, murder and prostitution. It is, David remarks, “a vicious cycle and very few if any escape the lives of hardship, trauma and pain. Just looking around one can understand how deep the problem is”.
Around a hundred Riverlea families have been identified as starving, with some threats of suicide coming through to the Angel Network depot. The response has been encouraging thus far, with critically needed food and other supplies having already been delivered, but more needs to be done before the vital needs of all the families concerned have been met.
David has put out a request to the Waverley CAN for every house to adopt at least one family. A donation of R350 will be enough to put together a food package that lasts three weeks and which the Angel Network will deliver to the recipients directly. The assistance can be financial or with the items required and he is happy for his house (23 Murray Street, Waverley) to be used as a drop off for items donated.
“At times like this people are looking for opportunities to help. However badly we have been affected there are those in our country in worse conditions living in terrible circumstances and in desperate need for our help” David says.
