Mholo Igama lam ndingu-Alexis Zafereo, kwaye ndingumfundi we-dietetic kwiYunivesithi yaseTexas Medical Branch (UTMB). Ngokujikeleza kwam ekuhlaleni, ndibe novuyo lokugqiba iiyure zam eGalveston County Food Bank kangangeeveki ezi-5 zizonke ngo-Okthobha ka-2023 – ngoDisemba 2023. Ngalo lonke ixesha lam kwibhanki yokutya, ndinikwe ithuba lokufundisa uluntu ngeeprojekthi ezininzi, ukwenza iincwadana, abathengisi, ukusebenzisana neminye imibutho, nokunye okuninzi. Ukuba yinxalenye yeqela lezondlo kuye kwaba yinto yokuvula amehlo endifundise okuninzi nangaphezulu.                                                                            

Iveki yam yokuqala e-GCFB yayiyiveki yokugqibela ka-Okthobha, ngoko ke ndandikwisidlo. Isebe lezondlo belilungiselela umnyhadala wogcino-mali webhanka wokutya ebehlelelwe kulempelaveki izayo ukuncedisa ekuqokeleleni imali kulo mbutho. Wonke umntu okwibhanki yokutya udlale indima ebalulekileyo kwimpumelelo yendawo yokugcina impahla, kwaye iqela lezondlo laliza kuthengisa ukutya kubantu abaqikelelwa kuma-300.

Ngelo xesha, ibhanki yokutya yayidala intsebenziswano kunye neSt. Ngexesha lokuhamba iqela liya kukhangela amathuba okubhengeza ibhanki yokutya njengomthombo kunye nokunceda ukusasaza ulwazi.

Kwiveki yesibini, ndiye ndakwazi ukujonga kuqala enye yeeprojekthi zevenkile yekona esempilweni iGCFB esebenza kuyo. Injongo yayikukunikezela ukufikelela kwimveliso entsha kuluntu oluhlala kwindawo eyintlango yokutya. Iqela lanxibelelana nomnini wevenkile laza lancedisa ekusekeni iindawo apho imveliso yayinokuthengiswa ize ithengiswe khona. Xa ndaya, ndakwazi ukuhlola ndaza ndakhangela iinkalo endinokuphucula kuzo. Ekupheleni kwale veki siye satyelela iSeeding Texas saza sancedisa abasebenzi ekutyaleni ngokutsha imveliso yabo nasekususeni izityalo ebezingasekho ngexesha lonyaka.

Kwiveki yesithathu, sibonelele ngesinikezelo esifundisayo seSifo seswekile ngexesha lebhanki yokutya ehambisa ukutya eHitchcock TX. Esi sikhokelo sasikunceda abantu abanesifo seswekile ukulawula amanqanaba eswekile yegazi. Oku kwakungamava acocekileyo kuba siye safikelela size sifundise abantu abaninzi ngakumbi kunokuba ndandilindele, yaye ekubeni babemi emgceni kwiimoto zabo, sakwazi ukubanika ingqalelo ixesha elide. Abanye bade bacele imibhalo eyongezelelekileyo kwisalamane esisekhaya. Ibilithuba elihle lokwenza izinto ezininzi ngaxeshanye kuluntu.

Kwiveki yam yesine, iqela lesondlo kunye nam silungiselele uMboniso woSuku lweHlabathi lweMoody Mansion. Sathenga ukutya nezixhobo zokulungiselela esi siganeko, sapheka isixa esikhulu, saprinta amakhadi okupheka, saza saba namacandelo awahlukeneyo awayefundisa abantwana indlela yokucoca imveliso yabo ngoxa befundisa abantu ababagcinayo.

Ekugqibeleni, kwiveki yam yokugqibela ndiye ndakwazi ukuya kwiklasi e-The Huntington, iziko eliphezulu, apho isebe lezondlo libonelele ngemfundo ethi “Yitya Usempilweni, Ukhuthale” kwaye labamba nedemo yokupheka. Ngethuba lolu tyelelo, ndakwazi ukwenza idemo yokupheka kwiklasi. Eli yayilithuba elihle lokuba ndinikele ubungqina ekubeni ebudeni bexesha lam ndilapha ndakwazi ukunikela ngokungakumbi emva kwemiboniso ngokulungiselela, ukulinganisa, ukushicilela iipakethe, nangokuyila umbandela ofunekayo eklasini. Ngoku ndiye ndakwazi ukuyibona yonke into iwela kwaye idibana.

Ukusebenza noluntu kwandivuyisa gqitha yaye kwandivuyisa gqitha. Bekumnandi ukubona ukuba kukho impembelelo ephezulu indima yesondlo ebenayo kwindawo yoluntu kunye nefuthe elinokwenziwa ngokufundisa uluntu. Uninzi lwabo sibanike ulwazi balwamkele kakhulu imathiriyeli ebesiyikhupha, kwaye bekumnandi ukubona abantu beyixabisa impilo yabo. Ibhanki yokutya yandinika indawo yokudala kunye nesondlo kunye nenkqubo enkulu yenkxaso. Yayingamava amangalisayo endinethemba lokujoyina kwakhona ngenye imini.