Olievenhoutbosch Christian School feeds hungry mouths

Olievenhoutbosch Christian School is one of the beneficiaries of KFC’s Add Hope initiative.

Principal of the school, Ria Wessels-Maluleke said the school originally housed about 20 000 individuals, but now has close to 60 000 residents, putting major strain on resources such as housing, water, electricity, clinics, social services and education.

“At our school alone, around 80 per cent of the children are growing up in single-parent households,” said Wessels-Maluleke.

“Close to 90 per cent need to survive on very little to no income. The school feeds 171 children and helps 30 families in the community.”

When it comes to education, Wessels-Maluleke said they address the physical, mental and social needs of children in their care.

“When I started at the school, education was not a priority for many of the parents or children. Many days it felt like we were wasting our time teaching, as most of the children in our classes were too hungry to respond or participate in the activities.”

The school then introduced a feeding scheme, serving porridge and sandwiches in the morning.

“After two years we introduced lunch as well and with the help of the Add Hope funding we were able to give healthy cooked meals to children.”

She highlighted the story of a single mother of three who is currently living in a hut and surviving on a government grant and a part-time job. The support families receive from the school community is making a huge difference.

“On my income, I can only afford to buy food so that we can eat only once a day, in the evenings. My children were going to school hungry,” said the single mom.

“We would eat in the evening so that at least we could sleep and not stay awake because of the hunger.”

Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC Africa corporate affairs director and Add Hope champion said, “Statistics SA shows that 51 per cent of people are living in poverty, most of whom are children and African.

“We need to do what we can to turn the tide on the devastating effect of hunger and malnutrition on children. Add Hope works because it’s a small donation that is quick to add, it’s really the power of the collective to change lives. Your R2 fills children and their families with hope.”

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