F OOD SECURI T Y
Plates4Days food packages.
Plates4Days JSE-listed packaged goods company, Tiger Brands, celebrates 13 years of the Plates4Days university nutrition programme. DENISE MHLANGA takes a look at its success
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Mary-Jane Morifi, Tiger Brands’ chief lates4Days addresses a critical need corporate affairs officer. for food security with provisions for Since its inception in 2008, the the needy, and supports about Plates4Days programme supports 4 500 students annually at nine campuses across five South students at institutions including the African universities. University of Johannesburg, University “The impact of COVID-19 on food of the Witwatersrand, Nelson Mandela security highlighted the need for University, University of the Western programmes like Plates4Days. Cape and the University of the Throughout lockdown, we Free State. Universities select participants provided nutritional food hampers Mary-Jane Morifi to ensure that the programme to university students,” says
is fairly managed and reaches students who would benefit the most. Qualifying students are given food hampers designed to last a full month while they live and learn on campus. The hamper provides dietary staple food items like Ace Quick Cook Super Maize Meal, Tastic Rice, Fattis & Monis Macaroni, Koo Chakalaka, Koo Mixed Vegetables, Koo Baked Beans and Black Cat Peanut Butter. Morifi says through the Tiger Brands Foundation, and in collaboration with the Department of Education, they continued with the School Breakfast programme which supports over 100 schools with a hot breakfast meal. In various communities, youth who are not at school are given monthly food hampers to avoid starvation. This is done in partnership with 15 NGOs. “To ensure food security and that students have adequate sustainable food, there needs to be collaboration among all role players,” she adds.
Koba-Tlala: Chasing away hunger
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oosely translated, Koba-Tlala, a national project with initiatives in all provinces, means ‘chasing away hunger’ in Tswana. That’s according to brigadiergeneral Gerhard Kamffer, Chief SANDF Project Koba-Tlala director. “Project Koba-Tlala is the SANDF contribution to the developmental agenda and other priorities of the SA government. Its primary beneficiaries are defence reserves and it also benefits the communities and families they come from,” says Kamffer. The project pilot phase was introduced during the 2015/16 financial year and officially launched in August 2017. It enabled the SANDF to use its footprint in rural and semi-rural areas in terms of units, land and spending of resources in conjunction with local communities, rural towns, provincial governments and other stakeholders to augment rural developmental initiatives. Kamffer explains that Reserve Force members can meaningfully engage in solving
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community challenges through carefully Women in uniform learning more about Animal chosen projects focused at creating viable Production as part of Project Koba-Tlala training. sustainable local economies. The projects fulfil a need in society, aim to change people’s perception to view the SANDF as more than just providing defence and to achieve a high success rate and value proposition within communities. “Our members are equipped with the necessary minimum knowledge, skills and attitudes to be competent and effective in identified community development interventions.” According to Kamffer, Koba-Tlala is an ongoing project with long-term objectives. These include assisting with the facilitation of a process whereby commercial farmers, Scan code to watch a video about Koba-Tlala. small-scale and emerging farmers can join hands in co-operatives from which the Department of Defence is able to procure agricultural and other products, goods and services. Project Koba-Tlala aims to identify further resources for strategic implementation that will include agri-processing support platform options, and forming strategic partnerships focusing on the youth, he says. “Additionally, Project Koba-Tlala also facilitates the reskilling of predominantly unemployed reserves in a variety of areas to enable their utilisation in their local Scan the code to read more about Koba-Tlala. communities,” says Kamffer.
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To play its part in ensuring access to food in South Africa, the South African National Defence Force aims to contribute to food security for its reserves. DENISE MHLANGA reports
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