KFC gives up the Colonel for hungry children

KFC on Corlett Drive, Joburg.

To mark World Hunger Relief month, KFC South Africa has given up their Colonel logo and replaced it with the smiling faces of children. These faces represent the children that benefit from KFC's Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Add Hope.

The move is part of KFC's Add Hope Campaign for October and reinforces the long-term commitment to child hunger relief in South Africa. From 1 October to 9 November, customers will see six little faces at 114 KFC stores, one in each major city across the country.

Since its launch in 2009, Add Hope has raised over R183m towards feeding hungry children. KFC Africa Managing Director Doug Smart says "KFC Add Hope brings our brand, customers and staff together to make a difference, because we quite simply believe, a hungry nation can never be a growing one".

Millions go hungry every day

More than 12-million South Africans go hungry every day[1]. A fifth of the population. The majority being children, women and the elderly. "The future of our children only looks brighter with a full tummy, so they can learn, grow and thrive. Through our Add Hope initiative we partner with over 90 beneficiaries across the country, including early childhood development organisations, children's homes and school feeding programmes and we feed more than 40000 children every month" says Smart.

The Add Hope initiative which runs all year round, lets customers purchase a menu item, "Add Hope", for just R2 and have it added to their order. KFC believes Add Hope sits at the heart of its brand and as such, its franchisees also contribute a percentage of their marketing funds.

The campaign is a follow-on to Add Hope's 2012 'Journey of Hope', whereby extreme adventurer Riaan Manser cycled from Cape Town to Johannesburg on a limited calorie diet - literally spelling out the word 'Hope' across the South African landscape to highlight the plight of hunger.

KFC's goal is to raise R2m during the month of October from its customers to continue to spreading hope.

[1] A five year study, by the University of Cape Town's African Food Security Unit Network