Skenkings is klein; hoe dit ook al sy, aanvaar gemeenskapskombuise hulle.

Skenkings is the plural of skenking, meaning donation. So this is simply the plural noun donations.

It is related to the verb skenk, which can mean donate or give depending on context.

In Afrikaans, the verb wees (to be) does not change the way English is/are does in the present tense.

So:

• Die donasie is klein = The donation is small
• Die skenkings is klein = The donations are small

Even with a plural subject, Afrikaans still uses is here.

Literally, klein means small. But in this sentence it most naturally means something like:

• small in amount
• modest
• limited

So the idea is not that the donations are physically tiny, but that they are not very large or generous in quantity/value.

This is a fixed expression meaning something like:

• however that may be
• be that as it may
• nevertheless
• anyway

It introduces a contrast: the donations are small, but despite that, the community kitchens still accept them.

So it works a bit like a connective phrase rather than a literal word-for-word statement.

Ook al adds the idea of no matter or even so.

In expressions like this, it helps create the sense of:

• however it may be
• no matter how that is

So hoe dit ook al sy is stronger and more idiomatic than just hoe dit sy.

This is one of those set Afrikaans expressions where sy appears as an older, fixed form of the verb wees (to be).

You do not usually swap it out for is in this idiom.

So learners should treat hoe dit ook al sy as a chunk meaning however that may be / be that as it may rather than trying to rebuild it from fully regular modern grammar.

This is because Afrikaans normally follows a verb-second pattern in main clauses.

The sentence begins that clause with the fronted phrase hoe dit ook al sy, so the finite verb comes next:

• Hoe dit ook al sy, aanvaar gemeenskapskombuise hulle.

If there were no fronted phrase, the neutral order would be:

• Gemeenskapskombuise aanvaar hulle.

So the inversion happens because something has been placed before the verb.

Here hulle means them and refers back to skenkings.

So:

• aanvaar ... hulle = accept them

Afrikaans uses hulle for several roles, including:

• they
• them
• their

The meaning is usually clear from word order and context.

In this sentence, it is the object pronoun: them.

Yes. Afrikaans very often writes compound nouns as a single word.

Here:

• gemeenskap = community
• kombuis = kitchen
• gemeenskapskombuis = community kitchen
• gemeenskapskombuise = community kitchens

This is very normal in Afrikaans. Where English often uses two words, Afrikaans often prefers one compound word.

Because the sentence is making a general statement, not talking about a specific set already identified in the conversation.

So:

• Skenkings is klein = Donations are small
• Gemeenskapskombuise aanvaar hulle = Community kitchens accept them

If you wanted to talk about specific ones, you could use die:

• Die skenkings is klein = The donations are small
• Die gemeenskapskombuise aanvaar hulle = The community kitchens accept them

Without die, the sentence sounds more general.

The semicolon links two closely related parts:

• Skenkings is klein
• hoe dit ook al sy, aanvaar gemeenskapskombuise hulle

It shows a strong connection while also marking a contrast. In effect, it says:

• the donations are small;
• nevertheless, the community kitchens accept them.

So the punctuation helps signal the shift from one idea to the contrasting follow-up idea.