They say that out of the darkness comes light. This certainly has been the case for Umhlanga businesswoman, mother and Umhlanga Women’s Association founder, Praneetha Aniruth.
It was about eighteen months ago that Praneetha’s eyes were opened and her life changed forever. “I was living in a bubble, but when the riots and floods happened, I realised there were people starving just a few kilometres from my home and I could no longer continue with my eyes closed.”
What started out as a gesture to feed the neighbourhood watch team, who were doing patrols during the riots, evolved into the creation of a volunteer-led community kitchen to feed the hungry, and then a fully-fledged non-profit company (NPC) called the Umhlanga Women’s Association.
Now, just a year-and-a-half later, chairperson Praneetha, her executive committee and more than 1000 members of the association are helping hundreds of desperate women and families on the North Coast every day, in a number of different ways.
With a background in marketing, broadcasting and public relations, Praneetha is the co-founder and partner at leading South African digital agency, Carver Media. She is also the CEO of two other companies, Audience Networks and Swiitch Agency. She is a dedicated mom of two sons, and wife to husband Avilash, who she has been married to for 27 years.
“It all began during the riots in July 2021,” she says. “It was still in the peak of Covid and we were making food for the patrolmen. We were then approached by people from neighbouring communities who were starving and needed food. We wanted to help but weren’t sure how. With no bank account yet, we didn’t want to take money, so we asked people to donate groceries so we could compile and distribute hampers.”
It didn’t take long before Praneetha and the volunteers to realise that the grocery hampers weren’t the best solution. “We quickly realised we had to change our approach because the people didn’t have electricity, so they were selling the groceries for paraffin. Also, the people who really needed the food – the frail, elderly, single mothers and child-headed households – didn’t have transport to collect it. We decided we had to take already cooked food directly to them.”
Working out of a makeshift community kitchen in a temple in Umhlanga, Praneetha says women of all different races, religions and backgrounds came together to prepare the food. “It was incredible. The women would sing while we cooked, it felt like we were in a war. I didn’t even know the names of many of the women I was working with.”
They worked closely with the ratepayer’s association and community policing forum to ensure the people who needed it most were getting the meals and, on 9 August (Women’s Day) 2021, Praneetha officially registered the Umhlanga Women’s Association as an NPC.
“Although it isn’t a business, I soon realised I had to structure and run the association like one, with an executive committee, to ensure we meet the needs of the community.”
When the floods hit, the team sprang into action again, this time making up to 500 meals a day. The premises they were working out of became too small and, a year later on their first anniversary, after massive fundraising drives and incredible generosity from local business people, the association opened its own community kitchen working out of a park home at the Saxony Shopping Centre in Umhlanga.
While the association started off as a community outreach initiative to feed the hungry, it has since evolved and grown to meet a number of different needs for women in the area. “We have different areas where women can help other women. This could be assisting them with legal advice, imparting skills and training to help them generate an income, donating pre-loved clothing or sanitary pads for young girls who are missing school during their menstruation, or donating money.”
The association’s most recent development has been the launch of their gender-based violence and mental health awareness campaign. “Unlike our other programmes, this isn’t only for underprivileged women. This is for the women suffering in silence in our own communities, our neighbours.”
The recently-launched campaign involves creating awareness and educating people around GBV and mental health issues, which Praneetha says so often go hand-in-hand.
“This has already been such an incredible journey but we still have so far to go. We have the most amazing committee and members, and I could never have done any of this without them, or without the help of God and my incredible family and husband. They are at the centre of my life.”
Details: www.umhlangawa.co.za, @umhlangawa
