Cape Town - Atlantis pensioner Nella Bailey spent her 80th birthday on Thursday doing what she loves the most – feeding children in her community using money from her own pocket.
“At 80 years old, I still can’t believe I made it this far,” she said.
“My parents didn’t even make it past 30 years of age and most of my siblings are no more. I feel very blessed for the long life God has given me. I am just grateful that I can still have the energy to feed the children and that I can still cook.
“I started cooking using my pension money, buying what I could. Now a lot of people have approached me to help me. I am very grateful to everyone who has reached out their hand to assist me.”
Ouma Nella, as she is affectionately known, wakes as early as 7am every day to cook porridge and lunch for the children.
“I'm from the Northern Cape between Douglas and Salt Lake. I grew up there and I was 5 years old when my mother passed away – she had 13 children. My dad raised us after my mother’s death; he never remarried. I know poverty and hunger,” said Bailey.
Determined to make a difference, Bailey said she at times has to take food from her own cupboards.
The feeding initiative was first run by her granddaughter, Chanre van der Merwe, and her aunt, when their pots ran dry during the start of the Covid-19 lockdown they had to close it down.
“Because the circumstances around us are very hard, the children are left to fend for themselves. They wouldn’t stop knocking on our door. My granny made a decision and said let’s just continue,” said Van der Merwe.
Cape Times