The heroines of the uMhlanga Women’s Association (UWA) have taken on the mission to spread warmth far and wide in what would be one of the harshest winters for many communities in KwaZulu-Natal, due to the recent floods.
The UWA’s Winter Warmth Drive is set to be an ongoing initiative during June, July and August with drop offs once a month at the Wavehouse situated in Gateway Theatre of Shopping. The chairperson of the UWA, Praneetha Aniruth said the generous donations of blankets and pillows will be distributed in Phoenix, Verulam, Tongaat, Kenville, Pinetown and Shakaskraal.
She said: “A blanket is something that many of us take for granted, and it is important for people to know that a small act of generosity like a new or used blanket cannot only provide warmth, but it can also save someone’s life. The winter in Durban has come early this year and has been particularly harsh. The more blankets we can get from members of the community, the more we can help those in need.”
Aniruth said most of the folks that are aided by the UWA are elderly, frail, homeless and indigent people. She said members of the association were also overwhelmed by the living conditions of people in the Riet River, Ottawa and Inanda areas.
“Most of the indigent communities do not even have access to running water or electricity. The floods had a compounding effect on the communities we serve. People were still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Riots and the floods have really worsened the situation. Our community kitchen which cooks and feeds 400 people a day, since the floods, has been overwhelmed by people requesting blankets. This is when we decided to initiate the Winter Warmth Campaign.” said Aniruth.
She also lamented on the challenges that children of these communities face such as the lack of nutritious food, school uniforms, shoes, stationery, sanitary packs and counselling among others. She stated that the UWA is constantly striving for a way to change the lives of the children they serve.
“We need your help. Please help us with donating a new or used blanket to a person in need. A small simple gesture can make a huge difference in someone’s life,” said Aniruth.
If you would like to support the UWA’s Winter Warmth Campaign, contact Praneetha Aniruth on 082 969 8224.
