Cape Town – The family of 10-year-old Ayesha Kelly has commemorated her life and legacy on the two-year anniversary of her death by feeding and treating close to 1 000 children in their community.
Party packets, sandwiches and pots of foods were made for the children of Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain where Ayesha once played.
Family and organisers wore T-shirts sporting her photograph.
Children in their hundreds gathered in Oudekloof Street today.
Kelly was shot and killed on December 8, 2019 while walking to a tuck shop in Oudekloof Road.
The shooting was allegedly between rival gangs, The Hard Livings and the Americans.
Cameron Julius and Chadwin Williams are the two accused in her murder case and are set for trial on May 23, 2022.
Kelly, who was in Grade 4 at Tafelsig Primary school, dreamed of becoming a doctor. She was her mother Insaaf’s only daughter.
Insaaf said the aim of the event was to commemorate her daughter and to keep children safe in their community.
“We want to remember her and keep her memory alive and the legacy she left behind and give back to the community,” she said.
“My mother, Fayrooz, joined the neighbourhood watch. We want to keep the children safe so there is not another child and incident.”
Fayrooz said they were grateful to the wider community for supporting their initiative and being there for their family. She said they were also grateful to their sponsors.
“We want to remember her and to give back the love and happiness she gave us and to the community. She would have been in Grade 6 and preparing for Grade 7 and choosing a high school next year.
“We are grateful to the community for their support and even the tuck shops here in the street, even the one where she was laying the day she was shot, they made a contribution.
“We are also grateful to our sponsors.”
Fayrooz said they had catered for close to 1 000 children who would be fed sandwiches, party packets and a hot plate of food thanks to Bond Foods in Rylands and to Western Cape Helping Hands.
Weekend Argus