Many South Africans, particularly those living in townships and informal settlements, are feeling the strain of lockdown, which is decidedly different ways to those in suburbs and urban centres. With extremely crowded environments, poor sanitation facilities, water and food shortages, unemployment and lack of access to up-to-date information, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is likely to be increased in lower-income communities. By all accounts, social distancing is proving difficult in these communities, not only because of structural proximity but because people are continuously having to go out to secure essentials for their families. Bulk buying is not a reality of many in South Africa.

In light of this, Afrika Tikkun is mobilizing a community-level response to COVID 19 in the townships where we work. We are scaling up supplies of food and essentials to vulnerable families in the Gauteng townships of Alexandra, Diepsloot, Braamfontein, and Orange Farm, as well as Mfuleni in the Western Cape. We will use our decades of experience in distributing goods to communities during a time of crisis, to implement a response that will bring together other non-profit organisations and community-based structures. In this way, we will be able to reach many beyond the Tikkun family. Our centres, functional structures and credible institutions within these communities, are now being used for distribution of urgent goods and supplies.