A total of 16 members and their families, known as Opel Cartel, are helping families in Tafelsig and other areas in Mitchell’s Plain with food and clothes and are putting a plan in place to keep the youth off the street.
“When we drive through Mitchell’s Plain on our food drives we can see exactly how much the community is affected by poverty, gangsterism and drugs. The covid-pandemic added to the deterioration of the communities and it is heartbreaking to see how people are struggling. In 2019 we founded the charity organisation, a registered NPO,” says Amanda van der Vendt, secretary of Opel Cartel.
Food is handed out on a monthly basis and currently they are helping two families, one who lost everything in a fire, and a sick father who looks after six children.
“Our upcoming events include two families in need of our assistance in Lentegeur whose home burnt down, and we will be assisting a family on the farm Morgenster. The father is very ill and he is raising six kids on his own. The woman who took them in contacted us for assistance,” she says.
The families have a passion for charity and the community.
“In December 2021 we had our first toy run and successfully handed out 450 toys, food and soft drinks to the children around Tafelsig. As we ventured into this toy run we came across two orphanages, Grace Welfare Youth Centre and Welfare Zone Community Shelter, in Mitchell’s Plain. We handed each child in the orphanages a Santa shoe box and a Hungry Lion meal.
“In January we decided to help each child to celebrate his or her birthday with a birthday party on their special day. The kids from both homes were split among our members and each member would cater for a child. It has been an absolute joy up till now to see the joy on those faces when it was their birthday,” she says.
The NPO has no sponsors and every treat is out of the pockets of the members.
“Our latest project is to get children off the street in Tafelsig, a project we did last year in Delft. We hosted children on Saturday 24 September when celebrating Heritage day with fun and games and the department of solid waste in the City of Cape Town was assisting us. We want to put smiles on the faces of the children in other events planned for later this year,” she says.
The senior citizens were also included in the festivities on Heritage Day and they were treated with gifts and snack boxes.
Entertainment was provided by amateur musicians and singers and the public enjoyed singing along to songs.
The band The Chosen Ones from Eerste River was in attendance and rappers from Malmesbury.
“Our last birthday run for the year will be later this month at Grace Welfare Centre,” she says.
