Professional cooks feeding those in need
Many of us scrape food from our dinner plates or throw food out not giving it a second thought. Yet that could have been a meal for one or maybe even two.
One often says that one is blessed and privileged, but it is through stories like this that you realise just how blessed and privileged you really are.
The RECORD spoke with Tshidi Gumbi, a caterer from Mayberry Park, about her experience in taking part in Chefs with Compassion’s (CWC) #67000litres challenge for Mandela Day.
She was one of the 280 participating chefs.
Food rescue organisation CWC set a challenge to cook over 67 000 litres of food for people in need this Mandela Day. The participants in the challenge smashed this number with a total of 70 897l, giving a wholesome bowl of food to over 283 000 people in vulnerable communities. The challenge aimed to address the issues of food waste and hunger in South Africa.
Kitchen with a purpose
According to Tshidi, she has been working with CWC since the start of the lockdown in 2020.
As a caterer with over 20 years of experience, the lockdown impacted the availability of work for Tshidi, who mostly catered towards municipalities and events.
“In the lockdown, I stood in my kitchen and asked God what I should do,” said Tshidi. “Then I met the people from CWC and I started making food for those in need, especially the children and the street boys.”
Working together with her neighbour, Larke Hiepner, who assists with the peeling and preparing of the vegetables that are used in the stews, she feeds the children in need in two areas of Thokoza on Tuesdays and Thursdays respectively.
“It is very fulfilling work, in some ways even more fulfilling than my previous catering work.”
Importance of food rescue
For Tshidi it is important to use her skills to not only give those in need something to eat but to give them something that is truly appetising, filling and nutritious.
“I grew up with nothing, and it’s not easy to see others suffering. God gave me the skills to help them.”
Tshidi focuses mainly on giving food to children in need. She said that many of them are unable to get food at home much less be able to cook it themselves.
Tshidi said that rescuing food to use is very important. The food rescued by CWC she explained comes from overproduction and food that would go to waste if not used.
“Nothing goes to waste, even the packaging is washed and used as plates.”
Being part of the team behind the campaign, Tshidi said the experience was amazing.
“Being able to help the children made me very happy.”
She shared the story of one little girl who especially touched her heart during their distribution of the food.
Upon receiving her meal this girl sat down close to the feeding station saying that she would like to eat it there rather than take it home. This story brought tears to her eyes.
