Food insecurity across the Eastern Cape has seen 207 children die in the last two years due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) — a reality that Buffalo City is not spared, and the Glynn Ramoo charity golf day on October 19 hopes to raise funds for Feed A Family East London, to stem the tide of food insecurity locally.
A total of 323 children have died since April 2021 due to SAM and the child support grant (CSG) and early childhood development (ECD) subsidies are insufficient to meet the needs of vulnerable children, as the R530 CSG per child falls short of the R796 food poverty line.
To be held at West Bank Golf Club, all proceeds from the golf day will not only go towards assisting Feed A Family’s important work to end food insecurity in Buffalo City, but also to raise funds for the Glynn Ramoo bursaries fund that contributes to the school fees for pupils in underserved communities.
Feed A Family was founded by husband and wife, Manj and Bertram Essen in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide food to those in dire need due to job loss.
Since then, the organisation has hosted food drives every week in three different areas in East London: Milner Estate, Second Creek, and Southernwood.
They feed more than 200 children daily and cook 300 hot meals for families over the weekends.
Manj said: “Too many children were going hungry out there, and many families were battling, and no help was given at that stage.
“We took a chance when Covid-19 was rife and we haven’t been able to turn away since then.
“The children are served with a hot cooked meal, fruit, and a party pack.
“If we have clothing, toys, or even blankets, we distribute these as well to them because the children do not have access to basic necessities like toiletries,” Manj said.
She said this year they are planning to continue with the bursaries from money raised, enabling some of the children’s school fees to be paid off.
“It [Glynn Ramoo Bursaries] is a great initiative, as the children are working hard in the hopes of being awarded a bursary again.
“The rest of the money will go towards feeding in all our areas with the hopes of making lives a little bit more comfortable,” she said.
Cameron Ramoo and his wife founded Glynn Ramoo Charity in 2021 after his father’s death, in honour of his father’s passion for outreach and community.
He said: “We wanted to keep his legacy alive and create a special day where family and friends can get together for a good cause.
“This year we would love to be able to give the scholarship to a minimum of 10 children and keep it running as long as we possibly can,” Ramoo said.
“People come from all over the country to be a part of the day and we have been blessed with a community that is there to support and make the day great for everyone.”
With high infant mortality and breastfeeding rates below 50%, the province continues to grapple with deeply entrenched poverty and health access issues.
To sign up for the golf day, contact West Bank Golf Club on 043-731-1523.
For any enquiries or sponsors contact Cameron Ramoo on 073-556-2579.
