Open Arms of Minnesota - Africa Food Parcels

Food Parcels for South Africa

In 2003, while Kevin Winge was working and studying in South Africa, he was approached to assist with the planning of a World AIDS Day event in Guguletu, a township located outside of Cape Town. Below is a story of what developed from his experience:

"World AIDS Day, which is always recognized on December 1st, is a major event in countries like South Africa, but goes nearly unacknowledged in the United States. I was to be the "expert" who would teach a small committee of HIV-positive young people how to plan events. Of course, at the end of the day, I learned much more from these young people than they learned from me.

The first thing I learned was that food, which is a daily issue for many poor people living in the townships, was an even greater issue during the month of December. December is the "festive season" in South Africa. It has always been a month when black families, separated for economic, social and political reasons, are reunited. As much they look forward to the season, my friends on the World AIDS Day committee told me that December is also a very stressful month, in large part because there is never enough food to feed everyone.

The second thing I learned from working with these young people is that many South Africans don't really understand Americans. Many people in townships like Guguletu have never met an American before. Their only impressions of America come from the media, and those impressions are not always very positive.

Working on that World AIDS Day event in Guguletu got the folks at Open Arms of Minnesota and me thinking…

Is there a way to provide food to families living with HIV/AIDS in the townships of South Africa and change some of the negative opinions that people in other parts of the world have towards the United States?

We think there is.

We're asking people in the U.S. to sponsor food parcels for families affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The food parcels will be packed with staples such as flour, sugar, and rice and will also include treats such as tea and biscuits. Some of the food will be packed in 20-liter plastic pails with lids. The pails will provide storage to prevent the food from being infested with insects. Once the food is gone, families that lack easy access to water will be able to use the pails to haul water from public water taps or rivers. The cost of sponsoring one food parcel for a family is only $40.

But we're asking sponsors to do more than just give $40.

Simply distributing food parcels in South Africa does nothing to address the misperceptions that we all have about each other. We want to connect people to people, families to families, Americans to South Africans. We're asking you, our American sponsors, to tell a family in South Africa something about yourself. In a paragraph or two, tell that family where you live, what you do, who is part of your family, what you care about, and what motivated you to sponsor a food parcel for a family in another part of the world - a family who you will probably never meet.

We also want you to provide us with a photograph. The photo can be of you or your family or someone you are recognizing through this contribution. The photograph will allow a South African family to actually see who is sponsoring their food parcel.

With your $40, we will go shopping in South Africa and buy a plastic pail and fill it with groceries. We will then take the picture you provide us with, along with your message to a family in South Africa, and create an individualized sponsorship form like the one attached. This sponsorship form will be laminated and permanently affixed to the plastic pail so the family in South Africa who receives a food parcel from you, will have a permanent reminder of an American who cares enough to share some of our resources with the rest of the world. (See sample photo at the top of this page.)

And, just to make certain that we connect people with people - Americans with South Africans - the sponsorship forms will also display both the American flag and the South African flag. We want to be certain that receiving families clearly understand that this gift comes from concerned Americans.

Recently, someone said to me that giving food to people who are hungry isn't charity - it's justice. We agree. But the way in which we give that food, can have lasting effects, long after the food has been eaten. Perhaps the way we give that food is even more important than the food itself.

Please join in our efforts to feed people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, and in so doing, change the world.

Get a Food Parcel donation form. If you would like more information, call us at 612-872-1152. Because of the generosity of many individuals and groups, we are able to continue sponsoring food parcels for people in Guguletu each December and March.

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