South Africa’s largest food manufacturer, Tiger Brands, has launched a R42m (US$2.34m) child nutrition program crowned, “Isondlo”, aimed to support 10,000 children who are food insecure, with a monthly food hamper for a period of 9 months.
In addition to the monthly food hamper, each family will receive a one-off vegetable garden starter kit in their first hamper distribution.
Tiger Brands’ latest kid’s campaign has Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund as its enabling partner with the resources and national reach required to implement the programme.
In a country where more than a third of the food produced goes to waste, Tiger Brands has made a commitment through Isondlo to ensure that children under five years receive the nutritional requirements to support their healthy development.
Speaking about the initiative, Dr Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Chairman, Tiger Brands, said: “As Tiger Brands, we will not be an onlooker to combatting child hunger. We see it as a moral obligation to make a difference in improving food security in our communities.”
According to the chairman: “Our children will determine what a future South Africa will look like, and we must play our part in contributing to a future where there is no child hunger.
“A future in which our children are resilient and in which they are able to live to their fullest potential because we collectively acted when they were young,” Dr Geraldine said.
Reportedly, the organisation quickly brought on board 19 grassroots implementing NGOs in 17 districts across the country to assist with identifying food insecure families.
These grassroots implementing partners provide access to support the distribution infrastructure and processes needed to deliver the food hampers to the 10 000 children and their families, including those in far-flung areas.
“The Fund has partnered with Tiger Brands as part of our Child Survival Development and Thriving Programme aimed at improving the mortality rate and the development of children under 5 through various interventions.
“Isondlo will allow us to ensure that children in this age group get the proper nutrition that they need in order to grow and develop optimally,” says Dr Stanley Maphosa, Interim CEO, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.
With the launch of Isondlo, Tiger Brands is strengthening its commitment to improving food security and sustainable livelihoods as it embarks on a second century of nourishing and nurturing lives in South Africa and into Africa.
“Isondlo addresses a real need in our society – to support our future generation. As Africa’s largest food manufacturer, we are committed to ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods, and having marked our centenary last year, postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we find the launch of the programme an appropriate way to celebrate this milestone,” says Dr Fraser-Moleketi.
The monthly food hampers are in addition to the 35 000 food hampers the company distributes monthly as part of its existing food nutrition programmes.
