Feeding scheme passes 10 million mark

It was also celebrated at the Mvelaphanda Primary School in Tembisa, Gauteng. Minister Motshekga commended Shoprite Group for the work it does with its mobile kitchen units and emphasised the importance of good nutrition for all South African learners.

A pupil at Mvelaphanda Primary School in Tembisa, enjoying his soup at the ten million milestone event.

The 12 mobile kitchen units which has become a familiar sight in those South African communities living on the breadline are distributing at least 300 000 cups of Royco soup and bread per month, especially to children and senior citizens, as well as the thousands of people affected by job losses.

There in time of need

Since the feeding programme was launched, the group has also reached out to communities when disaster and humanitarian relief efforts became necessary. During the course of the year, the group will also expand the project into Africa, piloting one truck in Namibia and another in Zambia.

Brian Weyers, director of the Shoprite Group, says that the supermarket group is acutely aware of the on-going economic pressure on the less privileged sectors of society where unemployment is rife.

Angie Motshekga, South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education, was also on hand to celebrate the event. (Image: GCIS)

"In deciding to launch this programme the group took cognisance of the link between economic development, poverty alleviation and malnutrition. We have re-looked our role and responsibility in communities and have focused social spending on helping more and more South Africans who worry how they will feed their families.

"In working with our partners Royco we have put high emphasis on nutrition taking into account the key nutrients, Vitamin A, iron and zinc which have been identified for public health in developing countries by the World Health Organisation.

Fortified soups

"The soup served at the mobile kitchen units nationally is made from fortified soup powders with 2 slices of bread meeting commendable percentages of RDA for the specific vitamins and minerals.

Ashwin Willemse and a pupil at Mvelaphanda Primary School in Tembisa.

"The re-focussing on the group's social spending enabled us to make a difference in the lives of many destitute and misplaced families in a time of need," Weyers said.

The programme entails two mobile soup kitchens in each of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces and one each in the rest of the nine provinces. Two units have now been allocated for Namibia and Zambia.

"Each mobile kitchen is manned by three staff members who are supported logistically by the supermarket in the area in which it operates. A public relations team of nine people coordinates the relief effort countrywide. The kitchens are kept stocked through generous contributions by Royco, Albany and Sasko to stock the 12 units in operation," he concluded.

Other corporate contributions to the feeding programme come from vehicle manufacturers Mercedes Benz South Africa, Toyota South Africa and Volkswagen South Africa.