The Add Hope initiative started by KFC South Africa was introduced in the hope that they could change the lives of children across South Africa. On August 22, Add Hope beneficiary Joint Aid Management (JAM) facilitated the handover of 710 food boxes which were handed over to families in need in the Lawley community, south of Ennerdale.

The handover was conducted through the Ekukhanyeni Relief Project, an organisation that touches the lives of about 1000 pre-schoolers in the Lawley community.

The boxes were packed in 67 minutes by KFC staff and partners in support of the Mandela Day legacy backing the Add Hope initiative.

KFC’s feeding initiative joint with customer donations with KFC Community Social Investment contributions to feed over 120 000 children through 137 beneficiaries.

The crèche principals identified families of the learners at these crèches who are less fortunate, as well as other community members in need who received the boxes.

According to JAM, they provide nutrient-rich meals which enable the children to grow and thrive.

“As a result of the severe poverty and the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in this area, the ability of parents to provide for their children’s well-being and development have lessened and families have become fragmented,” said Debbie Benson-Archer of Ekukhanyeni.

“Many children are being looked after by grandmothers and are dependent on social grants. There are countless vulnerable children, many orphaned, destitute or heads of households, without any form of early childhood care or opportunities for formal education.

In most cases, these vulnerable children are malnourished. We can already see a notable difference in the children who attend the crèches we work with and who are receiving meals. These additional food boxes will go a long way to help the families in this area.”

The team from Ekukhanyeni are passionate about changing the lives of children in Lawley through educating the teachers at 15 crèches about children’s needs and good nutrition.

There are currently no other early childhood care and education programmes which are common in informal settlements.

David Brown, chief executive officer of JAM, said, “Our long term partnership with Add Hope has a tremendous impact on the work we do in communities such as Lawley.

“When you think that one in five children in South Africa suffers from stunting and learning difficulties due to malnutrition, which translates to over 1.6 million children, there is a lot more work to be done to reach children in need. Every bit helps.”

“It’s great to see the donations and the boxes we packed on Mandela Day extending the impact we already have in these communities through Add Hope,” said Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC public affairs director for Africa.

“Add Hope is so relevant in South Africa where so many suffer in impoverished conditions.

“Children suffer the most, as malnutrition in their formative years means they miss the window of opportunity they have to reach their full development potential.

“We’re proud to be able to unite with our customers behind a very relevant cause, as we work to contribute to society and tackle the world’s number one health risk–hunger.

“Every time you Add Hope, you help us to help children learn, grow and thrive.”

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