Madiba's legacy continues to fill hearts and stomachs of children
The AmaLunchbox kitchen donated to Dikgabane School on 30 October 2014 is 101st AmaLunchbox kitchen provided by Game, in partnership with Massmart, the Walmart Foundation and the Department of Education. Since 2012, the Department of Education has been instrumental in helping Massmart identify needy schools for the 94+ Schools Infrastructure Project launched by Nelson Mandela in the same year. The project is aimed at mobilising resources and support from various sectors of society to tackle school infrastructure issues at schools that serve South Africa's poorest communities.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children" - Nelson Mandela.
The innovative kitchens, valued at around R120,000 each, feature stainless steel work surfaces, a lock-up pantry, gas cookers, a 48kg gas cylinder, four 100 litre cooking pots, a double-bowl sink and enough bright pink tumblers, plates and spoons for every child.
The kitchens have received a facelift in the past two years, with a new format. Needy schools now receive a new mobile park home kitchen. These Game AmaLunchbox kitchens provide a dedicated place to prepare and store meals hygienically, which is a facility that many poverty-stricken schools lack.
"The handover provides us with an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of needy children in South Africa and celebrate the legacy of a man who has given his life for South Africa and its people," said Game's Chief Financial Officer, Norman Drieselmann.
"The spirit of Mandela is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better and we hope that over the past two years we have embraced this, as we have partnered with the Department of Education in its quest to feed hungry children attending schools serving some of the country's poorest communities."
Game first began the AmaLunchbox project in 2008 and to date the investment in the mobile school kitchens is just over R9.5 million.
Based on an estimated enrolment of 1000 learners per school with 196 school feeding days per year, the kitchens will help serve approximately 40-million hot nutritious meals every school year, boosting their learning opportunities through improved nutrition.
Massmart Chairman Kuseni Dlamini commented, "Good nutrition and successful education go hand in hand - children who walk long distances to school each day without breakfast and then spend hours at school without food find it almost impossible to concentrate on their lessons.
"The group's chains distribute food and food-related goods, so it made perfect sense to partner with the Department of Education's National School Nutrition programme. We want to make the greatest positive impact in areas that matter most," he concluded.
