KFC adding hope one meal at a time
With the nationwide lockdown in full effect, food insecurity in SA has increased.
People who used to be able to fend for themselves are now unable to.
This is something which has been observed across all the provinces — including the Eastern Cape — which are requiring even more intervention and assistance from the government, feeding schemes and non-profit organisations (NPO).
If one considers that community-driven initiatives are among the fastest-growing mechanisms for channelling development assistance and changing futures, it is clear that feeding schemes and NPOs have a much bigger role to play in formulating a broader social impact for truly delivering hope.
And that is exactly what KFC Add Hope has done.
Its response to the hunger crisis has been swift and it has been able to mobilise its network not only to ramp up on food parcels in the areas and communities in which it serves, but to further this reach as well.
KFC has also committed an additional R3m to food relief over this time to ensure even more communities are reached.
To date it has been able to steadily increase the reach of Add Hope relief feeding efforts with more than 1.43-million meals distributed and 23,380 emergency food parcels delivered.
It has reached almost 117,000 people with 397 metric tons of food — and more is coming.
In the Eastern Cape 19 beneficiaries have been part of Add Hope’s long-term feeding efforts.
These beneficiaries feed about 2,000 families and children every month — 24,000 people every year.
They continue to receive support over this time and for those schools that are not open and able to feed as normal, that funding has gone directly into relief feeding for hungerstricken families in the area.
Over the past five weeks of lockdown, an additional 3,350 food parcels were delivered to this region as part of the programme’s broader emergency relief efforts.
Among the beneficiaries in the region is Greensleeves Children’s Trust — a home in East London for abandoned and orphaned children.
It houses 40 children and receives no government funding or assistance.
“Greensleeves had to survive with no staff over lockdown,” Greensleeves founder “Auntie Di” said.
“The teenagers have become teachers, cooks, cleaners and mommies.
“What a blessing it was to receive a 100 food parcels from KFC Add Hope.
“We have been able to feed all our house moms over this time and have a full pantry
— certainly a huge blessing and a massive relief for us over this uncertain and desperate time.”
Now, more than ever, South Africans need to feel hope and KFC is unwavering in its commitment to continue its feeding efforts to the most vulnerable in society.