• Qhakaza helps people with disabilities and elderly residents with meals, clothing, adult nappies and individual shoes for amputees.

• Beneficiaries say food, electricity and family expenses swallow their grants before the month ends.

For some residents of Nyanga in Cape Town, grant money runs out while there are still meals to buy and medication to take.

The Qhakaza disability group is helping fill that gap by cooking for people with disabilities and elderly residents three times a week.

Founder James Somgaga, who also lives with a disability, said the group stepped in after noticing that some residents were taking medication on empty stomachs because they could not afford food.

“We cook on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after we noticed that disabled people take medication with an empty stomach because their disability grant is not enough to cover everything,” said Somgaga.

The group initially helped only people with disabilities, but soon realised that elderly residents were struggling too.

“We couldn’t just ignore the fact that elderly people are struggling, that’s why we ended up including them,” he said.

Beyond meals, Qhakaza provides clothing, adult nappies and individual shoes for amputees.

Somgaga said people with disabilities also face expenses such as transport to medical appointments, medication and paying caregivers.

The group is now appealing for donations to keep its work going and provide extra support over Christmas.

“We are appealing for donations so that we can continue assisting our people. Our wish is to get more donations so that we can give them food parcels for Christmas,” he said.

For Sinalo Mvandabana, 45, the meals help stretch a disability grant that must support her and her three children.

“I am a mother of three who is depending on my disability grant. It is not enough. I only buy basics, and they get finished before the month end,” she said.

“Having a place like Qhakaza saves us from asking for handouts, and I pray that they get sponsors.”

Pensioner Gladys Nzumo, 69, faces similar pressure as she raises two grandchildren on her old-age grant.

“I buy food, clothes for them, buy electricity, pay insurance policy, and the money gets finished before I could cover everything. Everything is expensive, and we are happy that there are places like Qhakaza that still think about us,” said Nzumo.

She said her pension leaves little room for anything beyond necessities.

“With everything going up, the only thing we are fighting for now is not to go hungry; we have stopped spoiling ourselves. Having days where we get food and clothes from Qhakaza relieves us a bit,” she said.