Barloworld stops hunger in Alex
ALEXANDRA - Barloworld’s meal packs brings relief to 20 crèches in Alexandra.
Full tummies for hungry children, fire extinguishers in an environment often ravaged by shack fires, toilets in places where basic sanitation is not always forthcoming – these are just some of the legacies of a food project playing out in Alexandra thanks to Barloworld.
It’s a simple concept that has been quietly rolling out at daycare centres in Alexandra in recent years and is now yielding daily smiles, better schooling and improvements within early learning centres.
The success of the project is due to a partnership between Stop Hunger Now South Africa and the Barloworld Group, which was forged to fight hunger and shape children’s development from early on to minimise future risk.
The partnership was brought to life when the venture was initiated by Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa’s logistics and procurement officer, Ntuthuko Dube, who approached Barloworld with the idea.
Within a week, Barloworld emptied out their basement warehouse, called on dozens of volunteers and hosted a food-packing session at which 100 000 packs of food parcels were generated.
The meal packs are now delivered each month to 20 learning centres in Alexandra which fit basic Stop Hunger Now requirements.
Relieved of the burden of having to feed all the children and offered assistance and a system of accountability, the school principals have been able to set targets and think beyond survival mode. Some have even started stokvels (a savings or investment society) as a savings scheme.
The joy of receiving their monthly delivery of food packs was evident at Bonono Educare recently when Barloworld and Stop Hunger Now arrived with the 32kg boxes.
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At the Ulwazi Early Learning Centre, principal Sarafinah Tau, said she has been receiving Stop Hunger Now deliveries for two years. “Our children are healthy, and we have so far bought a fridge and a stove,” she said, adding that she hoped the help would ‘carry on forever’.
Mankele Mathebula, owner of KwaMankele Day Care, was overjoyed to see the arrival of the delivery and had her children ready to perform a small play for her Barloworld visitors.
Details: Lauren Human 078 253 9160; laurenh@meropa.co.za
