Handover at China Town

On a cold and wet 21 July 2012, the Department of Social Development(DSD) joined in partnership with the China Town Management Trust to hand out food hampers to families in need of the Metro South Region.

China Town has 180 businesses located in Ottery, Parow and Milnerton.

This year China Town has reviewed their initiative called the Winter programme and decided that they do not want to only be involved in once-off hand-outs but rather invest in a longer sustainable programme that impact on the lives of families.

Mr Eric Jiang, the general manager of China Town, requested a partnership with the Department of Social Develompent in an effort to achieve the following objectives:

• Assist needy families with food security contribution.
• Seek youth development and youth capacity building opportunities.
• Link unemployed youth with work opportunities.
• Link families with range of opportunities offered by business.
• Holiday recreational programmes for children.
• Identification of service delivery gaps in social development.
• Support family strengthening focus.

Beneficiaries of the partnership were selected as follows:

• Families are selected from the household surveys.
• Youth will be selected from the youth focal point database.
• Families who are beneficiaries of undue hardship relief of distress grant.
• Families selected from DSD processes.
• Families preferably should have youth or children in the family.
• A family consists of five individuals.
• A database of families selected will be established.

Beneficiaries from the following areas have been identified:

• Mitchell's Plain
• Phillippi farms
• Athlone
• Lavender Hill
• Freedom Park
• Phumlani
• Guguletu/Phillippi
• Nyanga

General Manager for China Town Mr Eric Jiang (left) and Regional Manager for Metro South Mr Quinton Arendse (middle) handing over a food.	A satisfied beneficiary taking ownership of her food hamper.
Mr Mzwandile Hewu, Chief Director for Service Delivery Management, handing over a food hamper to a satisfied beneficiary.	From left: Regional Manager for Metro South Mr Quinton Arendse, Director for Partnership Support Ms Debbie Van Stade, General Manager for China Town Mr Eric Jiang and Chief Director for Service Delivery Management Mr Mzwandile Hewu braving the rain to serve the communities of the Metro South Region.