South Africa has seen a 75 percent drop in violent crime during the coronavirus pandemic, now, rival gang members are teaming up to help the poor and people that are in need of desperate help in times like this.

Gang members are teaming up to collect, distribute food, and give essential goods to people that are in need.

Andie Steele-Smith, a pastor that is working with the gang members in the community, said that the things that we are witnessing right now is a miracle.

Gang groups, especially rivals, are very hard to talk with because of their violent history against each other.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the country of South Africa saw some of the highest violent crime rates in the entire continent. But after the pandemic, things got pretty calm.

After imposing some of the toughest quarantine rules in the world, which includes the ban on cigarette and alcohol sales, everyone realized that it was time to calm down.

As a result, gang members came to a truce so they could help each other out, especially the ones that were suffering the most.

Pastor Andie Steele-Smith talked about what happened during an interview with BBC News.

He said:

I got a phone call from two gang leaders, both saying ‘Andie, I’ve never asked you for anything but we are starving’, and I just thought if these guys are starving—they are at the top of the food-chain—the rest of the community is going to be in serious, serious strife.

In order to help, Pastor Andie said that he came out with a plan that would help everyone in the community and help the young gang members understand that there is a bigger purpose in life.

He asked members that are trying to kill each other to work together on one thing, which is to provide food, supplies, and other things to people that are in need.

Preson Jacobs, a member of a gang, said that it feels nice to do something for their community.

Sansi Hassan, a member of a rival gang, said that he wants the truce to become permanent.

Such an amazing thing to read and share with your friends despite all the chaos that is going on in the world right now.

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