Tsakani-based organisation feeds the community, helps substance abusers

Tsakani – Apostle Emmah Sekgobela is the founder of Love Thy Neighbour, an organisation that was established in 2013 in Tsakani at the Union In Christ Church.

“The organisation started with an initiative to feed congregants every Sunday after church until March when we extended the initiative to last throughout the week from Monday to Friday.

“We had a No Smoking Church Campaign that needed space on our church premises. We invited people from all walks of life,” said Sekgobela.

She mentioned that her heart was burdened after she noticed how substance users grabbed and ate the food speedily and some confessed that they needed help to stop the addiction.

“I then told them to come for food, spiritual counselling, preaching and teaching the next day. I taught them about walking with God.

“Since then they have been coming in numbers and I could not stop the initiative. The need escalated to unemployed individuals, frail senior citizens and children after school,” she added.

Love Thy Neighbour has been operational since and continues to welcome people into their initiative daily, feeding more than 150 people weekly and 50 people on Sundays.

“We have zero tolerance for hunger and poverty at Union in Christ Church. We provide homely meals to those who need it most.

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“Our organisation continues to receive massive support from our ward councillor, Slindokuhle Pike. We were also visited by the Gauteng Social Development MEC Faith Mazibuko who provided us with words of encouragement,” she said.

Sekgobela further mentioned that they recently partnered with the Department of Social Development to assess addicts and send them to rehabilitation centres for help.

“We send all the substance users who are ready and want to stop using drugs to rehabilitation centres. Our next move is to have a community centre that will feed, clean, and train people to gain skills in various platforms.

“We want our organisation to become an innovative place for recovered addicts after rehab as their families also need counselling to accept the person back home and into the community,” she concluded.