Rise Against Hunger: Residents join forces to combat childhood hunger

Dozens of residents from Boksburg and the surrounding towns joined the fight to alleviate hunger when Rise Against Hunger called for volunteers to pack thousands of food parcels to feed the needy.

Responding to the call, about 80 locals, including learners and adults, recently descended on Hoërskool Voortrekker to help package 26,000 food parcels in two hours. Rise Against Hunger Africa and The Humanity Foundation organised the drive.

According to Rise Against Hunger’s Anita Cloete, each meal pack, comprising a vitamin sachet containing 23 vitamins and minerals to combat malnutrition, dry vegetables, soya, and rice, can feed at least six adults.
Cloete said their core focus was children aged one to six, mainly early childhood development centres (ECDs).

The packed meals will go to ECDs and are sufficient to ensure over 100 children receive five meals weekly for the year.
However, some packs will be donated to The Humanity Foundation, which will distribute them through a feeding scheme.

Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger is an international volunteer-driven organisation that hosts meal-packing events and raises awareness of the global hunger crisis and malnutrition.
It has three branches in SA – KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Gauteng.

“We support over 384 ECDs not yet registered and not receiving funding from the Department of Social Development (DSD). For every 20 kids we support, we supply the ECD with one box of meals. With that one box, they must create a saving of at least R150 to R200.
“The money from the created savings then needs to be reinvested back into the ECD, either to buy educational toys or stationery for the kids, safety equipment or to send staff for training.

“By doing that, we are trying to help and support them to get registered. Once they are registered and receive support from the DSD, they fall off our books. We then take on another new unregistered ECD.
“A big thank you to all those who came to lend a helping hand. Your support plays a crucial role in feeding thousands of hungry children across the country.”

Upcoming event
The Humanity Foundation confirmed it would hold another event later in the year at a school in Benoni.
“Get ready, Benoni, as the Humanity Foundation is bringing Rise Against Hunger to Ekurhuleni and hopes to get more corporates involved in the future with this noble yet spectacular cause.”

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World Hunger Day
As we observed World Hunger Day on Wednesday, Statistics SA indicated that malnutrition and hunger are soaring across the country, leading to millions going to bed hungry.
According to the Statistics SA General Household Survey for 2024, about 14 million people out of the 63 million in the country went to bed hungry.