NUTRITION, FOOD SECURITY A MUST

LOST in the chaos of COVID-19, March was officially Nutrition Month in South Africa; and yet, in the wake of this outbreak, good nutrition is an essential message to share. This is particularly true for children and the elderly, who are more susceptible to the virus.

As we all know, a healthy body means a stronger immune system, which is vital to defeating the disease. In 2019, Statistics South Africa estimated the population of the country to be 58.78 million, 28.8 per cent of which is aged 15 and younger.

And although most of the country’s population lives in urban areas, in Stats SA’s most recent 2018 General Household Survey it was reported that 13.1 per cent of households were living in informal dwellings. All South Africans are feeling the strain of the lockdown but not all will be affected equally.
Those living in informal settlements and lower-income communities are dealing with crowded environments, poor sanitation facilities, water and food shortages, unemployment and lack of access to up-to-date information; thus their risk of contracting the virus is decidedly different to those living in the suburbs and urban centres.

Hit

Trends from abroad suggest that impoverished areas such as these are the hardest to be hit by the outbreak. Many in these areas also rely on schools to provide their children with the necessary three meals a day, but what happens now that schools are closed and communities are on lockdown?

In 2019, Afrika Tikkun’s five centres in Alexandra, Diepsloot, Uthando, Braamfontein and Mfuleni served more than 1.6 million meals to young people – 2 865 were food parcels delivered to families. Our Garden2Kindergarten food gardens harvested 3 166 kilogrammes of vegetables that facilitated these nutrition and food security interventions. Note that this was for the day-to-day running of the organisation when it was business as usual. Under today’s extreme circumstances it is business unusual.

Mobilised

It is with this in mind that we have mobilised a community-level response to COVID-19 in the areas in which we operate, called the Neighbour to Neighbour Support Programme. We are scaling up supplies of food and essentials for the vulnerable and distributing goods to communities that urgently need it during this time of crisis. We know that the provision of food parcels is not a sustainable long-term solution, but it is an indispensable response if we are to assist vulnerable communities withstand COVID-19.

With limited or no alternatives, the provision of a food parcel may just be a lifesaver. And right now, there is enormous demand to rapidly expand the feeding scheme to meet the needs of these communities. We applaud the South African Government’s swift response in dealing with the coronavirus crisis. Had it not been for this prompt action, the country would be in considerably worse shape than it is.

Although the government has our best interests at heart, we have been overwhelmed by the response of business and individuals in aligning themselves with initiatives that will ultimately assist the most vulnerable of our society. Remarkably, the Neighbour to Neighbour Support Programme has brought together private companies, other non-profit organisations and community-based structures.

Raised

Cans with Purpose, launched on March 16, has already raised more than R340 000 for the cause. KFC Adds Hope has donated 4 759 food parcels. Other organisations such as SA Harvest and Pick n Pay Feed the Nation have also donated towards this Afrika Tikkun initiative. Saying this, we believe that we are only seeing the beginning stages of the pandemic in SA and if we are to really make a difference, we all need to pull together.

Providing beneficial nutrition for young people will not only help in terms of the coronavirus outbreak, it will also have a great impact on their physical wellbeing and cognitive development. So, we’re calling on all South Africans for support. Non-perishable goods or monetary donations are required to help our centres deliver these essential services.

At a time like this we all need to practise responsible kindness towards our fellow citizens, and although we may not be able to leave our homes, we can still come out on the other side as champions if we act together. We all have the spirit of ubuntu in our hearts. Never forget, we are stronger together.

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