Where one can eat, 2, 3 or 4 can eat as well

 Where one can eat, two, three or four can eat as well

People are suffering from hunger – They need your support
 Sal Island in Cabo Verde is completely dependent on the tourism sector. Sal has approximately 38.000 inhabitants. They warmly welcome around 750.000 tourists per year.
 
Almost everyone is working in the tourism industry which has come to a standstill since March, due to Covid-19. As result a large group of people started losing their jobs or in some cases getting reduced salaries. In a tough reality characterized by low income and high cost of living, the majority of the population already have difficulties under normal circumstances to make it to the end of the month. Imagine how hard it is in this new reality to be able to feed a family, pay rent and have access to the basic commodities like water, gas and electricity.
 
We are a group of Cabo Verdean and European friends who are living, have lived or spend part of the year there. After getting several aid requests and updates about the current state of emergency we decided we wanted to do something too, rather than only listen and seeing the situation getting worse.

It is heartbreaking to hear that people are literally knocking on doors to ask for water, food or money. Which is happening. Every day. The situation is unbearable and it will take a really long time before there will be tourists visiting all the islands again. Until then, there will be people suffering from hunger. Or worse.
 
In addition to the already amazing crowdfunding campaigns running for Cabo Verde, with this crowdfunding we will focus on Sal.*
 
So please donate, so that we can give families a bag of food.
 
We will personally hand out all the donation bags filled with ingredients for Cachupa (a national nutrient rich dish with corn and beans) vegetables and fruits, mostly selected with a high dose of vitamin C. This team bonded together all voluntarily. So, every cent that is donated will be spent on food and distribution. We will buy all products locally as much as possible, so that local vendors will benefit from these donations as well.
 
This crowdfund is organised by the Dutch CSD-Foundation** and the Dutch Saltwater Foundation***and in close deliberation and cooperation with the locally based initiative No Ta Junt Santa Maria**** 

Your donations will be booked on the bank account of the CSD-Foundation.
 
‘Onde come um, comem dois, três ou quatro’ – ‘where one can eat, two, three or four can eat as well’
 
We THANK YOU for your kindness from our hearts:
 
The hardworking team in Sal: Daniela, Gabrielle, Lisa, Laura, Birthe, Helia, Mingo, Nadir, Erik, Maky, Didi, Ery, Katiziana, Hélio and Hernany. 
 
The team in Netherlands and Belgium: Noy, Sigrid, Marinde, Estelle and Annelies.
 
*At the moment of writing, there are still no cases of corona-infected inhabitants on Sal island. However, on other islands, there are cases which is why there is a strict lock-down. The army and local police see through that everyone stays in. Borders are still closed, but boats have been seen where people want to cross over. If this happens, also people on Sal will get infected. Soon, the state of emergency will be lifted for islands with non-registered cases, like Sal. As tourists from European countries still cannot go there, people will be able to fish and walk around freely, but remain hungry and without an income to pay for the fish or other groceries. This situation will last until the hotels re-open, planes will start to fly and tourists start to come back.
This is the reason why we decided to start on Sal. As well as because of our large, trustworthy network and cooperation with other associations. We start in Santa Maria. Because that is where most of us live or spend time. We also need to be very practical and careful at the start due to lockdown rules. After that we will also go to other places like Espargos, Santa Cruz, Terra Boa, Pedra de Lume, Palmeira depending on the amount of funding we can raise with your help by donating or spreading this message forward to get others to donate as well.
 
**CSD-Foundation stands for Co-Creative Social Design. Under regular circumstances we create projects with a long term effect on Sal island. Focussed on improving sustainable tourism, education and local entrepreneurship. Because of the emergency messages we received, we decided to set up this urgent crowdfunding.
www.csdfoundation.org 

***the Salt Water Foundation is all about giving knowledge and wisdom back. The foundations helps people to set up a new business, a new job opportunity by providing the funding and/or mentoring. Because of the emergency messages we received, we decided to set up this urgent crowdfunding.
https://saltwaterfoundation.org
 
****No Ta Junt Santa Maria supports local families with a bi-weekly bag of food, containing milk, rice or lentils or corn, toothpaste, soap, bleach. No Ta Junt Santa Maria has already started an inventory to see where the help is most needed. They work in close cooperation with local suppliers, local charities, municipality and local restaurants.
 “We embrace with an open heart the idea of creating a chain of solidarity, and extraordinary support for the population of Santa Maria, during the social and economic crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aiming to be an active, independent and complementary force for social support, we propose in collaboration with CODE CV - Cape Verde Development Cooperative and NÔS KAZA Center/ICCA, to collect and distribute food, hygiene and other essential goods to vulnerable families in Santa Maria.”
https://www.facebook.com/notajuntsantamaria/posts/119212956406199


Art by Helio Gomes, Santa Maria Pier