Ending Hunger Campaign
The COVID-19 pandemic increased global food insecurity in almost every country by reducing incomes and disrupting food supply chains. The pandemic created devastated effects on global hunger and poverty – especially on the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, vulnerable communities around the world have been sending a clear, urgent and repeated message: “Hunger may kill us before coronavirus”. In our deeply unequal world, millions of people are living in, and dying from food deprivation every year. What we saw as a global health crisis has quickly spiralled into an inflamed hunger crisis, leaving millions on the brink of starvation.
PSDS runs an outreach program ‘Ending Hunger Campaign’ and ‘Rise Against GBVF’ to respond to this crisis. During these difficult times, PSDS is running these programs to draw attention to the hardships and concerns facing vulnerable populations and families at risk of falling into absolute poverty and hunger, especially children and women.
This community outreach program aims to provide support to vulnerable communities through the following key aspects:
- Engage individuals, families, and stakeholders to enhance the support of vulnerable populations
- Donating stationery, dignity packs, and sanitary wear to identified vulnerable communities.
- Food distribution (food hampers) as a key social security measure to reduce food deprivation in struggling communities.
PSDS continues to reach out to donors and individuals to support the PSDS ‘Ending Hunger Campaign’ and Rise Against GBV’ initiatives. Please feel free to reach out to us with any food, stationery, sanitary wear, and clothing donations so that we can reach out to the many families and communities.
Partners for Sustainable Development Solutions (PSDS) strives to ensure that our work leaves a lasting mark. Over the years we have facilitated many HIV/AIDS projects and created Relief Assistance drives successfully. Our goal is to garner more support both in manpower and finances to expand our reach further.
HIV Project
In South Africa, immigration laws and stigma negatively affect many refugees and asylum seekers. PSDS is currently implementing the HIV Project amongst sex workers and LGBTIQs persons from the refugee and asylum seekers in Gauteng and Free State.
Objective:
Our organisation tackles the discrimination of the LGBTQI+ communities and sex workers who are refugees and asylum seekers as they are often stigmatised and neglected in HIV/AIDS programs. Given how intertwined HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence is in the country, PSDS takes a “whole of society” approach in our work. Thus, our HIV project also supports the eradication of violence against women and children in these communities.
Our role:
Our organisational competences and experience within the HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness focuses on building partnerships with local communities and national structures to foster a human rights-based approach to ensure well-being and dignity of members of the LGBTQI+ community and sex workers.
This a project funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Patients wait for consultations at Carletonville Central Primary Health Clinic. Gauteng Province. South Africa.
Relief Assistance
South Africa faces a spike in acute malnutrition that will impact how children grow physically and intellectually. This issue affects many poor families across the nation including pregnant women, immigrants and those stuck with delays in the grant administration.
Objective:
There is a great need in the communities for relief assistance and PSDS welcomes the opportunity to receive additional food parcels. We aim to increase the amount of parcels each time.
Our role:
PSDS is involved in the identification of those in need and providing relief for them with this most basic need. Our social workers and volunteers work tirelessly within communities to ensure that every child grows up with equal opportunities and access to quality nutrition. We work closely with concerned community members in order to effectively target those with the most urgent cases.
Through the generous contribution of food parcels, PSDS was able to distribute food parcels and reduce the risk of hunger for months now. The food parcels were distributed to community members with heightened vulnerabilities. Beneficiaries included single headed households, the elderly, those living with or affected by HIV/AIDs and families whose livelihoods have been impacted on as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic.
It is a huge privilege to have received food relief assistance from Lunch Box Fund to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable communities. We are extremely thankful for the support.
