BY OBAKENG MAJE
THE establishment of community nutrition and development centres in remote villages, townships, and small dorpies will this year benefit more than 1500 poverty stricken households, North West MEC for Social Development Fenny Gaolaolwe said during her project site visit to Nommer One village on Wednesday.

By far these centres, Gaolaolwe said, have continued to provide cooked, nutritious meals to individuals and households that cannot afford to feed themselves due to hunger and poverty.

“We have implemented this programme jointly with the national department of social development to feed the needy in most deprived wards in the province. Each centre will be funded with an amount of R19 000 per month over a period of eight months,” Gaolaolwe said, adding that nutrition centres would go some way towards achieving Millennium Development goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.

A walk-about visit by Gaolaolwe in Nommer One to monitor the services of the community nutrition centre was met with joy and laughter.

One of the beneficiaries Matshidiso Letlhaku (79) said the establishment of the nutrition centre in the area is of great benefit to many residents who are struggling to find jobs.

“Many of us here are not working. We depend largely on cooked meals we get from this centre. We are grateful for government for reaching unto us because most of us find it difficult take our medication on empty stomach,” added Letlhaku.

Letlhaku says in the meantime the beneficiaries keep busy with hand-knitting and gardening in the hope of selling their fares for some cash. “We want to be able to sustain ourselves when this programme comes to the end”.

Community nutrition and development centres have been established in Tlapa village in Rustenburg Local Municipality; Ga Mootla village in Moretele Local Municipality; Moshana Village in Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality; Matloding village in Ratlou Local Municipality; Nommer One village in Greater Taung Local Municipality; Phola Park Township in Naledi Local Municipality; and Khuma Township in Matlosana Local Municipality.
-TDN
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