WHEN Thembeka Gumede was a little girl, her grandmother taught her how to balance a heavy load on her head.

At the time, she did not understand the physics involved or how posture, balance and technique allowed her to carry a load weighing up to 20% of her body weight with surprisingly little effort.

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Decades later, Gumede found herself demonstrating those childhood skills once again as she helped welcome the Kolisi Foundation’s latest delivery of nutritious breakfast porridge mix to The Domino Foundation.

Gumede, who connects volunteers with service opportunities at Domino, could not resist showing off the skill she had learned from her gogo.

“Some things from our early years we never forget,” she said.

But the moment also prompted Gumede to reflect on the less positive experiences that can remain with children throughout their lives.

Meals fuel young minds
“We are also aware that many of the pre-schoolers on our ECD (Early Childhood Development) programme have other things which also may stay with them all their lives – things which won’t stir such happy memories,” she said.

Her comments come against the backdrop of concerns about child malnutrition in SA, with inadequate nutrition during the early years potentially having lasting consequences for children’s physical and cognitive development.

The Kolisi Foundation has partnered with The Domino Foundation for several years in efforts to address food insecurity and malnutrition in vulnerable communities.

As part of this ongoing partnership, the Kolisi Foundation provides Domino with 40 relief food hampers each month to assist families in need.

In August, the foundation expanded its support with the first of what will be monthly deliveries of nutritious breakfast porridge mix for eight ECD centres in the Amanzimtoti area that partner with Domino.

The initiative will benefit approximately 500 pre-school children, helping ensure they receive a nutritious breakfast to start their day.

Gumede said providing children with regular, nutritious meals could have a positive impact well beyond simply addressing hunger.

“Regular nutritious breakfasts positively affect children’s learning in general school performance,” she said.

She believes the Kolisi Foundation’s continued commitment will give hundreds of young children in the Amanzimtoti area a stronger foundation during some of the most important years of their development.

“The Kolisi Foundation’s commitment means that 500 Toti pre-schoolers who will enjoy healthy meals to start their days in these crèches are in a good place to not become statistics in the dire predictions,” she said.

For The Domino Foundation and the Kolisi Foundation, the initiative forms part of a broader commitment to creating healthier, more empowered communities and addressing the challenges faced by vulnerable South Africans.

Both organisations remain committed to working towards relief, empowerment and justice in communities across the country. They also welcome enquiries from individuals and organisations interested in finding ways to contribute and make a meaningful difference.

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