The children immediately swarmed the bus when it first arrived in the village. Pure glee overcame their emaciated faces, and they jumped up and down as if it was the best day of their lives. Amid the excitement, Sophomore Catherine Ford was drawn to a young girl who seemed scared. Upon approaching her, Ford realized that she wouldn’t talk and also noticed the subtle sadness in her young eyes. And so, with great care, Ford grabbed the girl’s hand and they walked deeper into the village. Little did Ford know, from that moment on her life would never be the same.
Ford participated in the Capetown, South Africa chapter of the Global Lead Program, which sends young leaders to do charity work in underdeveloped areas. Her experiences there, specifically from her time spent in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, inspired her to start the non-profit Soup Moms of South Africa.
Ford, whose loud laugh can be heard from quite the distance, is best known for her humor. However, her playful demeanor quickly dissipates into one much more serious and contemplative when speaking of her time in South Africa. Her eyes deepens as she reflects and recounts the experience.
“I’m not the type of person who gets emotional,” Ford said, “or the type of person to get attached to things or people. But this changed my life.”
Despite apartheid ending in 1994, the social and racial divides are still very much a reality. The disparities are clearly seen in Sir Lowry’s Pass where the entire population is black. The village is consumed by famine and poverty— which acts as a catalyst for crime and substance abuse.
The government does little for the village. Through the education system, children only get lunch three days a week. Additionally, the children begin school at the age of 8, and thus the younger ones are literally starving.
Despite their own personal hardships, there is a group of selfless women in the village who cook soup for the children as often as possible. They do so with no access to electricity or running water. It was through one of the “soup moms” that Ford learned the old South African philosophy known as “ubuntu.” The phrase translates to “people are people through other people.”
Ubuntu is the underlying spirit of Ford’s non-profit organization, Soup Moms of South Africa.
“I do not want Sir Lowry’s Pass Village to eventually be remembered as a tragedy,” said Ford, “At the end of the day, despite our differences, we are all one. We need to look out for each other because we’re all we have.”
The charity works in cohesion with the soup moms to help eliminate hunger and improve lives in Sir Lowry’s Pass. The organization has three long-term goals: to feed the kids twice a day for five days of the week, to build a soup kitchen and community center and to package and sell Soup Moms of South Africa products in the U.S.
Despite the newness of the non-profit, thousands of dollars have already been raised. Future fundraising efforts include a collaboration with Whole Foods and a partnership with jazz musician Jonathan Butler.
Much of Ford’s time in South Africa was spent with Jenne-Lee, the frightened girl from that very first day. On Ford’s last day in Sir Lowry’s Pass Jenne-Lee burst into uncontrollable tears and wrapped her skinny, scarred arms around Ford.
“Nobody has ever loved me before,” said Jenne-Lee, a victim of her drug-addicted father’s abuse. She is one the many who will benefit from the efforts of Soup Moms of South Africa.
Learn more at https://soupmomsofsouthafrica.org/