Child hunger is a deepening crisis in South Africa, with many families not able to put food on the table children are among the most vulnerable. It’s a sad story and not often one that leaves you feeling hopeful. Recently, we went on a field trip to Diepsloot to visit Afrika Tikkun – a facility that is one of many supported by KFC Add Hope – and we left with hope in our hearts.
The centre provides solace to almost 297 learners ranging from age 5-18. Their goal is simple: to eradicate poverty by providing the children at their centres with food, education and a safe space to learn. Social Support Services have a dedicated social worker on site who is responsible for assessing families in need – looking at criteria including income, orphaned children, GBV in households to assess families in need. Those who can afford it pay a nominal fee per child of R350 (age 2-4) and R480 (age 4-5), with many more being completely subsidised.
While some families send their children to school, the centre also supports families with food parcels every month – these parcels are rotated between the families each month as funding only allows for 50 parcels per month which are rotated among the 283 families in need. 90% of these families have no income and rely on these food parcels for sustenance.
We also met a young man, Brutus, who came to the centre in 2019 failing Grade 9, he is now in his final year at the University of Johannesburg studying criminal law. His goal is to take these skills back to his community as his way of giving back. This is just one of many stories out of an organisation that has been changing lives for over 30 years, 15 of those supported by KFC Add Hope. When asked for a wish list of what was needed most for them to continue their work, the answer was simple: more funding.
There is no doubt that initiatives like KFC Add Hope are fundamentally changing lives. And we checked – the money trail is solid – independently audited, every cent accounted for and over R1.2 billion raised in the fight against child hunger since 2009, feeding 372 million children in need. Your R2 really does make a difference, so next time you pass your local KFC, you can feel confident that your small change makes a big difference.
