Runda Feeding

Hannah and I

On January 26th I went to another runda feeding event. As usual, we met at 10:30 at Java and then proceeded to the actual site for the feeding. This time we all had our tshirts, which are blue and say 'keep calm and interact' on the back. They're really nice, and make us both look and feel like a team.

The line of children

When we arrived I started to load bananas out of the truck and put them into crates. They were awfully sticky and a bit gross, but the job finished reasonably quickly. I then helped to unpack the rest of the food into cartons to hand out. There were things like bread, candy, milk and mandazi's. It is all rather basic, but it's such a blessing for these people to receive this food. There were quite a few indians helping out as well, and the organisation had improved greatly over time. There was more security, and a series of helpers drove away children and adults that attempted to get more food after the handing out. This wasn't the nicest thing to witness, and I felt extremely sorry for those turned away, but I suppose it is necessary in an operation such as this one.

The milk we handed out

After we had unpacked all the food we began to hand out plates to the elderly men and women. We carried up the bowls to the buildings to give them out. The conditions there are improving, and they actually built a new dormitory for the men. Everyone was so happy when we gave out the bowls, and it was an amazing experience for me. In addition, there was a new baby cow that had just been born, and I saw a tiny kitten and some dogs around the area. We fed the animals as well, and I was very pleased by the fact that no one was excluded from this event.

I hand out lollipops

When we returned we all sat down at our stations and the children started lining up. They used plastic bags that the food had previously been packaged in, and there were around 150 children in the entire few hours. I always find it so bittersweet to see the kids. I love seeing the expressions on their faces as they receive the food, but I can't ignore the tattered clothing they wear and the desperate gleam in their eyes. I'm glad that Runda Feeding is helping them, but I feel as if we should be doing more. The satisfaction is only temporary, and they return each time in the same state of poverty.

A young girl and her siblings come to collect the food

Overall, this was a good trip. There were a few moments in which I was slightly shocked by the means that the returning children were turned away, but I was able to evaluate the essentiality of these actions. As ever, it is an essentially eye-opening experience to touch a child's life directly. I very much want to start doing something like this myself, but revolving around animal welfare. The dedication required is admirable, and I think that it would be very good for me.