George van der Schyff, our Director of Change, is one of the founding members of the Seaboard Community Action Network (CAN), one of the Cape Town Together CAN’s, a collective of smaller, local, neighbourhood initiatives. Their goal is to help communities self-organize to take action at the neighbourhood level to share accurate information, support the most vulnerable and high-risk residents, and share resources with other CAN’s across the city.
The Pristine Earth Collective is supporting the Seaboard CAN in their relief work, by acting as a funding channel and providing support. The Seaboard CAN has partnered with the Gugulethu CAN to provide much-needed relief to those hardest-hit by the lockdown. George is the acting lead in this partnership, working closely with Pamela Silwana to identify needs and relief opportunities through funding and food support (for more information please visit https://seaboardcan.org/).
Seaboard CAN
While our focus at the Pristine Earth Collective is plastic pollution, we also recognize the humanitarian crisis accompanying the national lockdown.
Their Work
Their work covers various different aspects of need in the community.
To help prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 protective gear and sanitizers have been distributed and 58 communal handwashing stations have been set up. To raise awareness, multi-lingual educational pamphlets have also been distributed, in addition to media awareness campaigns.
The Seaboard CAN have provided amazing food aid (meals and non-perishable food), as well as clothing and hygiene products to those in need. They are supporting soup kitchens in Gugulethu and Sea Point, feeding healthy, sustaining meals to the hungry. An exciting new programme of serving pre-made soup from a major manufacturer is being piloted, with the support of the Pristine Earth Collective. On the first day, 416 litres of soup was served to 1600 people in two hours.
The partnership between the Gugulethu and Seaboard CAN’s is distributing vouchers to vulnerable households, which in turn supports street champions and local fruit and vegetable traders. Thus, ensuring aid gets to those who need it most, and supporting the local economy.
Want To Get Involved?
Although their fundraising efforts have been admirable, with 18% of their goal reached by the end of April, more help is sorely needed. Please get in touch if you would like to support their work further, or do your bit and donate what you can.