Project Feed the Children is a non-profit organisation with a vision to help and feed children in need, within poor communities.
It was founded by Shaun and Gail Botha, in April 2008.
“The organisation provides meals for rural communities in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Mhlabatini and KwaZulu-Natal,” said Briony Holloway, centre manager.
“A total of 11 000 meals are provided each month to disadvantaged children, who otherwise would have no food each day.”
Cloverdene is one of the areas in which the organisation provides services for orphaned and vulnerable children, assisted by community members.
“Project Feed the Children takes care of 110 orphaned and vulnerable children, who receive two warm meals, stimulation through play and an introduction to early childhood development classes,” said Holloway.
However, the number of children they feed and assist can rise to 450 during school holidays.
Holloway adds that community members such as Pastor Dumsani Madi, who is also a campus co-ordinator, identify families and children in need and provides social upliftment.
The project also provides empowerment training to residences; one such project is Heart of a Champion.
“The programme focuses on life-planning and socio-economic empowerment,” said Holloway.
She added that the project approaches the needs of the people holistically, because they offer assistance focusing on the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of vulnerable children and the families within the community.
The organisation has achieved many milestones.
“Some of our achievements include feeding and social upliftment of underprivileged schoolchildren and mothers in the informal settlements of Cloverdene and Daveyton, the provision of employment for residents, a book library, a toy library for children and the establishment of two youth soccer teams in Cloverdene,” said Holloway.
The organisation realises that “it takes a village to raise a child”.
“We have long realised that, in order to provide assistance to children, one must look at helping the community, too,” said Holloway.
