Internationally, a further 6.7-million meals were packed for Stop Hunger Now across six countries, bringing the total number of meals packed for Mandela Month to 10,000,026 meals.
The seven-day meal packing campaign, entitled Follow the Sun, kicked off on 13 July at GrandWest Casino in Cape Town where Graça Machel, chief patron of Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa, was first in line to begin her 67-minute challenge.
While she was standing in her production line Machel told fellow packers, "I want us to remember what Madiba said once. It was at a concert, he was already feeling it was time to prepare all of us that, as a human being, he would leave one day. He said to us - 'it is in your hands, it is in your hands to make this world a better place'."
Packing initiatives also took place at four other Sun International properties - The Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth, Carnival City in Johannesburg and Sibaya in KwaZulu Natal, ending with the final packing challenge at Sun City.
Michael Farr, group general manager for Sun International Brand and Communications said, “We would like to thank our staff, suppliers, concessionaires, celebrities and other corporate companies for all rolling up their sleeves to help us meet this phenomenal target.
“For us, the reality that over 3-million South African children go hungry every day is unacceptable, so we are delighted to note that the Follow the Sun packing challenge across our Sun International properties amounted to around 900,000, almost 28% of the 3.3-million meals packed nationally, and 9% of the global total.”
Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa CEO Saira Khan thanked South Africans for opening their hearts to the campaign: “South Africa has packed over 3.3-million meals, which is more than 33% of the global total we reached in our Follow The Sun Mandela week campaign across five of our partner Sun International South African venues, which gave the campaign a national presence. At each unit we saw how this initiative has really brought South Africans together and shown them how important it is to work together. This global total is going to help us feed so many more hungry children around the world.”
Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa is an affiliate of the international organisation formed in the USA in 1998. The volunteer-based food packing programme seeks to address the nutritional needs of children, especially in early childhood development centres.
