NGO struggles to feed communities after spinach theft

Thieves have struck an elderly couple’s Noordhoek farm twice in the past two days which contributes to a local NGO. The thieves are reported to have stolen the whole field of spinach.

The loss is not only for the couple themselves but also for a local feeding scheme. Their farm is one of many contributors to a self-help community project called “Money For Jam – Shelter From The Storm”.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, founder of the project Lilian Bron-Davis said the organisation has been feeding approximately 300 people per day since lockdown started. Money For Jam usually makes delicious jam, chutney and marmalade from fruit donated by several Cape farms.

“It is not fair that the people we are feeding go out and steal from the people who are actually feeding them. It makes no sense,” said Bron-Davis.

“The whole field has been stolen. They struck 10 days ago and it grew again and they went back for it. It’s a bad thing that someone takes a whole stock of spinach. All the other vegetables were sold out and the farm had only spinach left, and now that has been stolen. So they have got nothing left. They are now cutting wood chips to sell to people because you cannot grow things overnight. They are unable to make a living because they have no vegetables. They are growing but they won’t be ready for another two to three weeks.”

They are an elderly couple in their 70s and they are frightened because they haven’t got money for security. They are frightened that if they expose what is going on, someone is going to come along and shoot them,” Bron-Davis said.

Bron-Davis travels across the Cape to collect produce from farmers, and makes food to feed starving people along the way.

“These include massive quantities of fruit, soup, stews and other organic, healthy home-made meals that are distributed throughout the Western Cape from Noordhoek, Cape Point, Fish Hoek, Simons Town, Masiphumalele and Ocean View to Stellenbosch, Ceres, Wellington, Citrusdal, Piketberg, Lamberts Bay and Clanwilliam, in the Cederberg,” said Bron-Davis.

According to the founder, the spinach theft has now made work very difficult for the project.

“I had to look further afield. I was on the phone to someone in Elands Bay, where they grow potatoes. I have 50kg of lettuces being offered to me tomorrow by another farmer. I am getting their leftovers that can be used for soup,” she said.

“I am bartering over the Western Cape. I bring something to one community so that they can give me something else to ensure that those 300 people get fed every day.”