FOOD SECURITY

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

is fairly managed and reaches students who would benefi t 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 P lates4Days addresses a critical need for food security with provisions for the needy, and supports about 4 500 students annually at nine campuses across fi ve South the needy, and supports about 4 500 students annually at nine Mary-Jane Morifi , Tiger Brands’ chief corporate affairs offi cer. Since its inception in 2008, the Plates4Days programme supports students at institutions including the Since its inception in 2008, the Plates4Days programme supports students at institutions including the 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 African universities. University of Johannesburg, University University of Johannesburg, University at school are given monthly food hampers to

“The impact of COVID-19 on food of the Witwatersrand, Nelson Mandela of the Witwatersrand, Nelson Mandela avoid starvation. This is done in partnership security highlighted the need for University, University of the Western University, University of the Western with 15 NGOs. programmes like Plates4Days. Cape and the University of the Cape and the University of the “To ensure food security and that students Throughout lockdown, we Free State. Free State. have adequate sustainable food, there needs provided nutritional food hampers Universities select participants to be collaboration among all role players,” to university students,” says Mary-Jane Morifi to ensure that the programme she adds.

Koba-Tlala: Chasing away hunger

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

Loosely 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 benefi ciaries are defence reserves and it also benefi ts the communities and families they come from,” says Kamffer.

The project pilot phase was introduced during the 2015/16 fi nancial year and offi cially 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

community challenges through carefully chosen projects focused at creating viable Women in uniform learning more about Animal Production as part of Project Koba-Tlala training. sustainable local economies.

The projects fulfi l 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 identifi ed 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 small-scale and emerging farmers can join hands in about Koba-Tlala.

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 communities,” says Kamffer. about Koba-Tlala.