Mobile kitchen at Ratang Bana means more meals for vulnerable children

The soaring number of children and the elderly arriving at Ratang Bana in search of food to stave-off hunger will now be well-catered for following the delivery of a spacious and well-equipped mobile kitchen to meet rising needs.

Greenstone-based specialty chemicals company, Lanxess, handed over a specially designed mobile kitchen to be used in the preparation of meals for the Ratang Bana Centre beneficiaries.

Ratang Bana is a non-profit organisation in Alexandra founded by Ingrid Maredi, whose main focus is to support and empower its beneficiaries, which include vulnerable children from child-headed households, those affected and infected by HIV and Aids and the elderly who help look after orphaned children.

The centre programme includes a food garden manned by the local community, whose products are used to provide meals for its beneficiaries and some are sold to the community to help generate income that contributes to the running of the centre.

“The feeding programme currently benefits 461 orphaned and vulnerable schoolgoing children with meals consistently, contributing to the children’s regular and punctual school attendance.

“It also enables them to attend school on full stomachs. With the newly forged partnership with Lanxess, we know that on a daily basis Ratang Bana will makes a difference in the lives of the 271 families from the Alexandra community,” Maredi said.

Speaking at the handover, Ben Marais, Lanxess South Africa’s country representative and managing director said they heard the cries and pleas of Ratang Bana and said they were here now to deliver on their promise.

“One of the things closest to our hearts is the education of youngsters but we also recognise the fact that these youngsters cannot be educated on an empty stomach. Children need to eat in order to concentrate in class and hence we saw the need to compliment the education they receive with the provision of meals,” Marais said.

He expressed hope that Lanxess’ contribution will go a long way in bearing fruit, not just for Alexandra, but for the country as a whole, saying that his company would only exist and continue to thrive with educated youngsters of this country.

“Problems such as hunger, malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies that affect physical growth and cognitive development, especially among children, have a negative impact on education,” he said.

“These problems tend to hold back the learning and development of millions of children around the world and the effects are dire in developing nations such as South Africa.”

City of Johannesburg’s Region E operational manager, Margaret Madolo praised the work of the Dreams Programme of Ratang Bana, which seeks to wrestle young girls away from blessers and urged the organisation to also cater for the vulnerable young boys whom she said would later grow up to become the very blessers.

“We need to educate them at an early age about this repulsive phenomenon that is destroying our young girls,” said Madolo.

Details: Nomzamo Khanyile 011 457 4019; nomzamo.khanyile@lanxess.com

Read: Ratang Bana keeps dreams alive for girls

What do you think of the work being done by Ratang Bana to protect vulnerable girls from blessers? Tweet @AlexNewsZA to share your views