These poignant words were the closing remarks of Eden mayor Faried Stemmet at the official launch of the district’s War on Poverty campaign on Friday.
The launch was marked by extensive high profile visits to three different venues in George in just one day, ensuring that people from all areas in and surrounding George could access the mayor’s message.
Stemmet, high ranking officials and other Eden dignitaries kicked off the launch with a presentation in Thembalethu, followed by similar interactions in Pacaltsdorp and Blanco.
At each of the venues an extensive programme was conducted including a mayoral address and presentation by the Eden director of community services, Clive Africa. The programme director was Eden councillor Helen Loff from Uniondale.
After the presentations at the different venues, some homes in the area were visited and members of the community received food parcels. A few lucky individuals also received long awaited and much needed wheelchairs.
In his speech Stemmet said never in the history of man has there ever been so much suffering. "Daily 25 000 people in the world die from hunger or poverty related diseases. South Africa has been identified as the country with the biggest wealth gap in the world whereas Eden is the poorest district in the Western Cape. Of the 17 wards identified as the poorest within the Western Cape, 15 are within the Eden district."
Social grants to the value of R89-million are paid out every month within the district.
Nationally the War on Poverty programme was launched in 2008 and deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe made a passionate appeal in August this year to all spheres of govern-ment to work together. During his visit to Eden two months ago, he said that fighting poverty was complex and difficult, but that no worthwhile war was ever easy to fight.
Stemmet announced that Eden donated R300 000 to Food Bank SA and the mayor said he trusted that the Eden Foodbank located in George would be up and running before Christmas.
The foodbank aims to feed more than 60 000 people per day with many soup kitchens being established during the 2010/11 War on Poverty campaign.
The purpose of the campaign is to create an awareness of the state of poverty in the region, to face the reality of poverty in the various wards, and to recommend to council the strategic interventions needed.
Friday was also International Cancer Awareness Day and Stemmet assisted community member Didies Michaels in lighting a remembrance candle in honour of her late husband and all other victims of cancer.
Article and photos: Ilse Schoonraad
Read a related article here: http://www.georgeherald.com/news.aspx?id=2358
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Didies Michaels (centre) lit a candle for victims of cancer. From the left are Beryl Flanagan, personal assistant to the mayor, Eden mayor Faried Stemmet, Didies Michaels, Pacaltsdorp Besorgde Inwoners chairman Virgill Gericke and Eden councillor for community services, Piet van der Hoven.
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Interest in the launch of the War on Poverty was such that people crowded outside the doors of the packed hall.
