Provide nutrition for 500 families in South Africa

Dear, dear friends

The ingredients of our weekly food parcel include:

• 1 tin of baked beans
• 1 tin of pilchards (a protein rich sardine)
• 500g Maize meal
• 500g Sugar
• 5 Tea bags
• Fresh vegetables from our garden, this week a lovely harvest of cabbage and green pepper
• And lastly, a bar of laundry soap, and a bar of body soap.

It is most certainly not enough to last a family an entire week, but it is a great relief to those who depend on it, particularly our patients who cannot take their medication without eating something first.

As I watched our lovely women working in the kitchen packing the soap this week, it reminded me of a story our founder, Sr Ethel, shared with me years ago.

It is a story of a woman who came to see her, living in unimaginable conditions. She was in a shack made of corrugated iron—an oven in the summer and an icebox in the winter. The roof had rusted through, and she had tried to patch the holes with bits of plastic rubbish.

Living in a shack also means no sanitation. At that time she was relying on one of only 16 communal taps for water, and the *bucket system that stripped away the dignity of anyone forced to use it.

The woman had come to see Sr Ethel to try and start a new life after bravely ending a relationship that was marked by terrible physical and emotional abuse.

She was visibly hungry, a timid figure with gaunt eyes. In her gentle way, Sr Ethel consoled and encouraged her. She always believed in helping people in practical ways and packed her a food parcel.

Sr Ethel walked a long journey with her in the months that followed. The woman became stronger, healthier and more independent thanks to some courses she attended.

A few years later, the woman returned to the Centre with a small gift for Sr. Ethel—a handmade angel from an arts and crafts class. She said, “The day I met you, I was hungry, very hungry. But looking back, I realize I needed the soap just as much as the food. Being able to wash, to feel clean, to smell nice—this gave me the courage and self-respect I so desperately needed.”

This story stays with me because it illustrates something so profound. It’s not just the food that nourishes the body, but the small acts of dignity—the soap, the opportunity to feel cared for, and the reminder that we are worth kindness.

So, dear friends, I thank you, not just for the food you so generously provide, but for the soap as well.

May there always be someone in your life to lift your soul, just as you are doing for our people, all the way across the ocean.

* The "bucket system" in South Africa refers to a form of sanitation where people living in informal settlements, rural areas, or overcrowded urban areas were provided with a bucket or container to use as a toilet. This was typically a temporary solution for those who didn't have access to proper, hygienic sanitation facilities, like a proper indoor or outdoor toilet or sewage system.

Here’s how it worked:

• Buckets as Toilets: Instead of having a flush toilet or a pit latrine, people were given a plastic or metal bucket to use for human waste. These buckets were typically placed inside people’s homes or near their living areas.
• Manual Collection: After use, the waste-filled bucket would need to be manually emptied. In many cases, the waste would be disposed of in public areas, or sometimes it was collected by municipal workers. However, the process was not always consistent or sanitary, leading to significant health risks.
• Health and Dignity Concerns: The bucket system was widely criticized for being unsanitary, unhygienic, and degrading. It created significant health risks for those who used it because of the exposure to human waste, as well as the general lack of proper disposal or waste treatment. Additionally, it stripped away personal dignity, especially since it often required people to empty the buckets in unsafe or public spaces, which could be particularly hazardous to women and children.

This system was especially prevalent in areas with limited infrastructure—places where municipal services like water supply, sewage, or electricity were either inadequate or completely absent. The bucket system was seen as a temporary solution, but in many cases, it persisted for years due to slow infrastructure development, poverty, and systemic inequalities.

In recent years, there have been efforts to phase out the bucket system, though it still exists in some areas of South Africa, particularly in informal settlements. The South African government has made strides toward providing better sanitation services, including building more toilets, sewerage systems, and providing water to underserved areas. However, challenges remain, and there is ongoing work needed to improve sanitation for everyone.

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