Mother wages war against hunger with porridge

Ntsako Mabunda

LIMPOPO – MANDLA Tshabalala is a woman from Giyani determined to end world hunger and poverty. This determination led this wife and mother of two, and a qualified dietician, to manufacture a food product, Masana Instant Porridge under her company Masana Dieticians Company in 2012.
Tshabalala believes that once the human body is fed healthy food and is not hungry anymore, it has the ability to think of progressive ways to end poverty and inequality for itself and for society.
The porridge, which is a maize-based product that comes in four different flavours, has already been enjoyed by many households, créches, school feeding programmes, mines, prisons and health institutions. As a healthy breakfast option, Masana Instant Porridge is wheat-free, dairy free, and easy to prepare. Tshabalala, who describes herself as God-fearing, sees food and how we relate to it from a spiritual perspective as well.
“We believe your spiritual life is sometimes reflected in your eating habits. Our vision is guided by the genuine desire to change the mindset around food and eating, hence our marketing theme: ‘are you living to eat or are you eating to live’ seeks to create awareness around food and the role that it plays in all areas of our lives beyond just the cost and the pleasure aspects,” said Tshabalala.
Fortunately for most of us who wish to improve our health and lose weight, Masana Dieticians does not preach going about it by cutting out whole food groups like most popular diets, instead they advocate reducing portion sizes and being mindful of them, aiming to eat healthily 80% of the time and indulging yourself 20%. The company has a marketing and distribution plan that is already proving itself successful. The porridge is listed in selected Link Pharmacies, Metro Cash n Carry Wholesalers and through independent agents nationwide. Tshabalala shares that the pharmacy line on its own is already selling 5 000 units per month.
“Have the end in mind before you even start, do a thorough due diligence, be consistent and be passionate about what you do,” Tshabalala advises anyone who wishes to launch their own product line.