19/09/2026
One guy yelled, "Yoh, worreltjies en ertjies, my broe! Wanne laas - Yoh, die's my favourite - die kos is lekker"
Our next activity comes at a very heavy time for our family. It is just a day after our beloved uncle's janaaza, Hajji Ismail "The Voice" Galant. And this comes just a couple of days after we laid to rest another dear brother, Yunus.
May the Almighty be pleased with all of our deceased, Ameen 🤲🏾🕊️
Even in the midst of heartbreak, family is what keeps us going. My aunt, Faiza, who is well known for making beautiful, traditional medouras (bridal headgear) and her incredible cooking, is always keeping, aside for me, a barakat. Growing up also under her wing, she knows, by heart some of my absolute favorite dishes, and the day after she cooks, she will always message me. Sometimes, just as I'm about to ask her, I see a text: "Girl, kom haal jou bak!" 😂❤️
But this time, it was for a sad occasion Worreltjies en ertjies (carrots and peas) and also curry, to share with the community, delivering it right to us that afternoon. It had been a hectic, exhausting few days, and we were in bed resting, just feeling so incredibly emotional.
We could never do this work alone, and we have so many people to thank for helping us get this food out.
A huge thank you to our beloved Adoe for the wheels, Adil Albertus 🙏 (Tammy’s husband) Fatima (who is the sister of Jynie, who is married to my cousin Achmat) for the wheels, time, and effort.
Thank you also to my darling nephews, Waheedi-boy and M. Zain for the heavy lifting, the tears we shared, and also the "pappa jokes" that brought us comfort. The humor is just like my late father and his siblings, always so full of life and wit, never a dull moment.
Thank you to my mother, Rayatjie, for cooking the extra rice, and to the grandchildren of Pinkie's CHOW for all their hard work.
My dad would have looked at that food and said, "’n Lekker pot kerry of worreltjies en ertjies sal nou reg wees - hoe sal jy lyk ’n lekker warme bord kos?" 🥹
Warm food was always their way of showing love. They used to tell us how our granny, Mamma Dieja Aggies Galant, formerly of Claremont, would make these exact types of meals because she had so many children to feed, "en dit het vèr gegaan" it had to stretch to make sure all those little bellies were full.
We went next door to finish up the extra rice, warm the food, and help dish. As I stood there, I watched my youngest, who is only 6 years old, and my mind drifted back in time. I remembered playing in the shed in Lansdowne as a kid. After the painful Claremont forced removals, that Lansdowne house became our family’s second home. Back in Claremont, they used to cook for their older Davids cousins, Imams: Ebrahim (Sep) and Saalim Davids and As shaheed Imam Haron to aid the less fortunate and support our brothers and sisters in the townships who were worst affected by the system. Imam was tortured and killed in the 60s for his fight against the Apartheid system and may they be granted Paradise.
In Lansdowne, the family continued that legacy. As youngsters, my father and his many brothers, alongside other children from the Stegman Rd Claremont madrassa and community would accompany Imam Haron into the townships like Langa, Gugulethu, and Nyanga to deliver aid.
My Mamma and her cousins and neighbours, in Lansdowne, would jiekker around the pots, singing old-time classic songs or Nederlands liedjies, combining melodies while prepping and dishing. I used to watch them in awe. Nobody was ever stressed. It was a scene of pure joy, warmth, laughter, genuine smiles, and dancing. I used to play between the pots and now, our children are us, and we are our parents and grandparents, trying to keep the flame alive after they have gone. I remember seeing Mamma leaving the lid half on and half off the pot while dishing. She always said it was a habit from dishing in her own household; she wouldn't look inside the pot, she would just pray that it would be enough. And Alhamdullilah, there always was enough, with plenty left over!
The Pinkie's CHOW Community Food Drives grand kids are learning fast. They already know exactly what crates, trays, and utensils are needed whether we are doing sandwiches, tea, party packs, or hot meals. They make everything run smoothly. My dad used to say, "Tietie, vir hulle moet jy net so los, hulle gaan self lief raak vir die werk." And now, I can see it happening.
May he be rewarded for his wisdom. 🤲🏾✨
The reactions from the community for the worreltjies en ertjies were so heartwarming. Some sat and ate on the spot, or came back for seconds. There's always story time, where we tell the people a bit about the activity; that the food was from Ta Pinkie's brother's funeral. Everyone was crazy about my dad, he was well-loved, so they had something beautiful to say: "Ons bid en mag die Here vir hulle seën."
I dished all the rice and helped hand out the meals, and there was so much baraka (blessing) that the pot just wouldn't get empty. 😔 I was so emotional. May the Almighty give us the strength to continue this beautiful work that we were taught by our granny and our uncles. May they receive a continuous reward in Jannah, Ameen.
To our amazing supporters: sometimes you think the little bit you give is too small, but if you only knew how much it keeps us going, it would surely weigh heavy on your scale of good deeds.
I want to make a short but powerful dua for you all, my dad's absolute favorite line: "Mag Allah gie vir jou al jou wishes, Ameen. 🤲🏾🌸✨
📺 Pinkie's CHOW Community Food Drives YouTube SEASON ONE - 10 Episodes
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