Recalling the start of the Covid-19 pandemic one year ago, Ladysmith Women’s Forum’s Shireen Vorajee said that time stood still when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown and the reality of it hit hard.
“I was with my daughter in Durban and it was like time literally stood still for us. The uncertainty, the fear and the anxiety was
all so real to us,” said Vorajee.
She said that she and her family were preparing for Ramadaan and that when the announcement was made, everything changed overnight. “Nothing could have prepared anyone. The first few days was like a strange dream, but then the Forum and our members were ripped to reality – people needed help,” she said.
Vorajee said that her phone did not stop ringing as people pleaded for help. “People lost their jobs, everything; even family
because of Covid-19. Their hurt was heartbreaking. We spent nights working around the clock, without sleep or rest, to sort out food parcels as people weregoing hungry.
“I say it was a bittersweet experience because the people of Ladysmith really opened their hearts and assisted with donations, but
during the delivery of these Covid-19 hampers, what we saw broke our hearts,” said Vorajee.
Covid-19 magnified the serious problems of poverty that people in South Africa are dealing with, she said. “We worked from my home as we packed and made lists so that people could have meals for a few days.”
She said that her family was terrified for her own well-being. “My family would fight with me saying that I am over sixty years old and how could I go out in the field with so many people gathering and getting diagnosed with Covid-19.”
Vorajee believes that because she and her team had the best interest of the people at heart, that is what has kept them safe and Covid-19-free.
“There were days that we would get lost in the crowds of people as we worked to feed and make donations, but every day more donations would come and this is what kept us motivated and doing more with other organisations in Ladysmith. The people I met during these challenging times added more to my life,” she said.
The Ladysmith Women’s Forum has been operating in Ladysmith for almost nine years. Vorajee believes the pandemic has taught them more about the community of Ladysmith than all the years combined.
The Women’s Forum is involved with various community-based projects. Their latest project is sending care packages to the children of Syria.
The need for Covid hampers has slowed down somewhat, said Vorajee, giving them the time to catch up on a year that made history.
“The year had gone too quickly and there was little to no time to really reflect on what was happening, just that people needed help
and we were doing anything and everything to assist.”
Vorajee added that people should treasure family and friends because everything else can be replaced.
