Circle of Nourishment & Seeds of Nourishment

Our main social relief project is in supporting mothers and new-born babies at Mowbray Maternity Hospital, through our weekly food packs of sandwiches and fruits and the donation of Stork Bundles. Rokpa Circle of Nourishment has been supporting vulnerable mothers and new-born babies at Mowbray Maternity Hospital (MMH) for the past decade, the winter of ’22 was our 10 year anniversary of service. 

Close on 1,000 babies are born at MMH every month. Over 90% of the mothers are unable to pay the hospital for their services.

Here’s an overview of the extent of our projects ~

Weekly sandwiches, fruit & juice – 120 packages every Wednesday

Many expectant mothers visit the day clinic at MMH without having eaten. Since 2012, we have supplied a sandwiches and fruits once a week to coincide with the clinics busiest day. The food packs consist of sandwiches, 2 fruits (banana & citrus or apple) and a juice. Deep gratitude to the volunteers who make up and package the food packs and to Charlotte for the coordination and weekly delivery.

Fruit, snacks and toiletries prem ward

We also supply weekly a box of fruit – bananas, apples, pears & citrus - to the mothers in the prem ward as well as snack packets and toiletries for the mothers. 

Stork bundles & food vouchers
Stork bundles are the maternity packs we make up for vulnerable mothers and their newborns. We continue to deliver 20 stork bundles (aprox. cost of R800 per bundle) and 20 food vouchers (valued at R600 per voucher) every month.

Kangaroo Wraps for prem babies
Baby wraps are the perfect way to conveniently participate in Kangaroo Care both in and out of hospital – allowing the mother to hold her baby close in the wrap whilst carrying out day to day activities. We supply about 50 wraps per month to the hospital.

Homeless Support 

A small group of volunteers make up food packages for the homeless. They are then distributed on the weekly garbage collection day in their communities, when there is a lot of hungry people sorting through bins for food and materials to repurpose or sell to recycling – or on daily weekly commutes.

Seeds of Nourishment 

Seeds of Nourishment's objective is to address food security, build community resilience and support regenerative small scale farming. Through organic farming that restores our environment, we address child and family nutrition in impoverished households, as well as supporting the social enterprise of community organic food gardening.

Since March 2021, Rokpa Seeds have been responsible for a weekly delivery of organic vegetables to the community kitchen at Open Door, a project that supports vulnerable children and their caregivers in Ocean View and Masiphumele. We include 25 loaves of freshly baked bread in our weekly delivery to supplement the contribution of vegetables. Open Door feed approximately 200 children per day, Monday to Friday.

Rokpa Seeds have established food gardens and supported small scale farmers since inception. Our volunteers ran a dedicated allotment on Ocean View Organic Farm for 2 years, re-established the Gaia Food Gardens in Scarborough in 2023 and in 2024, established a new food garden at the Rotary Youth Camp in Glencairn. Our work has expanded to include the propagation of indigenous succulents to distribute freely to residents of informal settlements and new homeowners of government subsidised homes, helping them to establish home gardens and green their new environment.

Thank you to our all our volunteers who give generously of their time. A small community of volunteers sustain our numerous commitments. We can always do with more hands to assist all of our projects, as well as fundraisers.

Circle of Nourishment is extremely grateful for funding from ROKPA International as well as the numerous individual donations which makes these activities possible.

There are countless ways to assist our work ~

  • Contact us if you are able to help making weekly sandwiches for the mothers at Mowbray Maternity Hospital.

  • Join the Seed volunteers Compassion in Action every Tuesday for a morning of gardening - weeding, sowing seeds, compost making etcetera - 9h00 - 12h30.

  • Propagate pots of indigenous plants for Seeds of Nourishment’s propagation project in your own home and we’ll collect from you.

  • Share our documentary with friends & family through your social media channels. If you have a connection to a corporate who would like to invest in a worthy social investment project, please introduce us! Or you may have a connection to a beauty & health brand that may donate items for our Stork Bundles (please email us for a list of contents and itemised costs of bundles).

  • Sponsor a week’s supply of vegetables supporting Seeds organic farming R500 per week.

  • Add a large jar of sugar-free peanut butter or small tin of jam to your grocery trolley once a month and drop it off at the centre.

  • Knit beanies & booties for newborns! Download the following patterns: Knitting Pattern for Beanie; Mother Theresa Pattern

  • All donations of time, items and monetary make this work POSSIBLE!

If you would like to support our efforts in any way, please contact Jenny at dharma@discoverymail.co.za; Charlotte at capetown@kagyu.org.za or Michele at fynbosfaerie@icloud.com

Our Bank Details for sponsorship ~

Rokpa Charity Acc no. 907 4203 994 Branch code 632005 ABSA Bank, Claremont Ref: Your Name & sponsorship allocation (Circle/ Seeds/ Homeless)

“When we concern ourselves with the welfare of those less fortunate than ourselves, without pride or desire for fame and recognition, we too will have found the right way. Gradually, as we gain in confidence and strength of purpose, our benevolence can come to include everyone who is suffering.” 

~ Akong Tulku Rinpoche