By Michelle van der Spuy
Over the past three weeks, 21mm of rain has fallen in the Noorsveld. This is the first significant rainfall that this area in the Eastern Cape has received in the past three years after a drought began there eight years ago.
Pieter du Plessis from SA for Hope, which provides drought relief to farmers, farm workers, and agricultural communities in distress due to the drought, says residents of Jansenville, Klipplaat, Kleinpoort, and Waterford are now losing hope.
“This small relief that the rain has brought is not enough. The damage has been done, and the people of Noorsveld urgently need support. Without help, more families will be forced to leave land that has been in their families for generations.
“These are not just statistics. These are real people, working the land with their hands, raising livestock, and feeding our nation. Today, their dams are dry. Their animals are dying. Their families are hungry. Children are going to bed without enough food, and parents are faced with impossible choices.
“Many of these farmers and farmworkers have used up their life savings to keep going, selling off equipment, reducing herds, and cutting back on necessities. The emotional and mental toll is immense. Without immediate assistance, more families will be forced to walk away from land that has been in their families for generations.”
SA for Hope therefore plans to reach out to the Noorsveld on Saturday, 14 June, and bring food parcels, feed, and clean drinking water to this community.
“We ask every South African, business, and community who believes in the power of compassion to stand by the Noorsveld. No contribution is too small. Whether it’s a financial donation, a bag of maize meal, a bale of hay or a bottle of water, everything helps. People can also help with packing, transportation and distribution.”
For more information, contact Pieter du Plessis on 076 844 6435 or saforhope@gmail.comarrow_outward.
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