Annelot and Teddy are now feeding up to 1,000 people a week, having started a grassroots organization Ajudo na Aruba.
Please show them you care. This is a two-girl operation, no overhead, 100% of the products you deliver/donate go to the new poor, those who lost their jobs mid-March, those who were making beds, flipping burgers, and washing dishes in our tourist sector, many illegal, many single-parent families, 60% living around Savaneta and San Nicholas.
Ajudo na Aruba helps the bottom rung, those who get zero help from nobody, supporting small children, out of work, unqualified for subsidy or pension.
If you are reading this column, you must make a donation:
Aruba Bank #2211730390 Pemaxawo NV Sero Biento 23;
NL96 RABO 0110527887 ovv Ajudo na Aruba
@AjudonaAruba
It started with Annelot Muijres, a married mother of one, a popular lactation specialist who began cooking for about 60 people at the start of the pandemic on Aruba, she wanted to help out. Her clients, young mothers all over the island were having challenges feeding their babies, and keeping their heads above water.
Then her list grew to 60 families and then to 100.
She recruited Teddy, a married mother of two toddlers, out of work from Bugaloe, where she happily served tourists a number of times a week while her husband Antoine worked very hard on the banquet team of the Ritz Carlton. Antoine, from Haiti, familiar with poverty from his home island, volunteered to stay home with the kids during Covid19, while Teddy joined Annelot, serving their growing base of desperate locals.
Teddy appealed to Bugaloe and was gratified to find out that every Monday and Tuesday, the popular Palm Beach Bar will be cooking for the needy. The food is then delivered by Annelot and Teddy, supplements by boxes of groceries, all from donations.
This is more than a full time job, says Teddy.
The need is staggering.
The beginning was tough, people did not believe in us, Teddy explains, but having worked for five weeks, many local organizations, Caribbean Overseas, Bright Bakery, Botica di Servicio, Vibrations PR and Cunucu Fresh, turned around and are now contributing willingly to their efforts and volunteers are joining their ranks eager to help.
Fundacion pa Nos Comunidad, Teddy points out, has been catering to people in distress for years. The people Ajudo na Aruba are trying to help are new to this situation, the recently impoverished often don’t know where to turn for help and are emotionally too shocked and raw. Ajudo na Aruba set out to mitigate their pain.
You may also help by buying sushi: Bugaloe started a project called Sushi on the beach, Wednesday to Sunday, Call Tel 568 5393, for their beautiful sushi platters with proceeds earmarked to Ajudo na Aruba