Durban Woman Feeds 50 Homeless People Daily Since 2020

Yolanda Zikhali couldn't walk past another hungry person sleeping on the pavements of South Beach without taking action.

In 2020, the 47-year-old Durban native founded Siphilisiwe Community Care, a nonprofit that now feeds around 50 homeless people every single day. With donated food from local businesses and help from young volunteer cooks, her team serves three warm meals daily including porridge, rice, vegetables, and soup with bread.

The impact reaches families like Jane's, a mother of two who has been on and off the streets for four years. Her seven-year-old daughter heads to school each morning with a full stomach, while Jane spends her days with her two-year-old son trying to earn money for shelter beds. "Knowing my children receive hot meals every morning gives me some hope," she says.

Zikhali noticed the growing crisis of people going days without proper food, sleeping on pavements, and struggling with illness. Many of the people her organization helps are elderly, unemployed, living with chronic illnesses, or facing mental health and substance abuse challenges.

Sunny's Take

What started as one woman's heartbreak has grown into something much bigger. The center has become more than a place to eat. It's a space where people who feel forgotten by society find comfort, safety, and human connection.

"Sometimes they just need someone to talk to and show them care," Zikhali explains. Her volunteers prepare meals, distribute food, and check on vulnerable individuals throughout the community.

The work isn't easy. Some days, Zikhali doesn't know where the next food donation will come from. But she keeps the doors open because turning away hungry people isn't an option.

She's calling for more support from government, businesses, and the public to tackle Durban's homelessness and hunger crisis. Her message is simple but powerful: "People living on the streets are human beings. They deserve food, healthcare and respect like everyone else."

Four years in, Zikhali's soup kitchen proves that one person's compassion can spark real change, one warm meal at a time.