Africa Food for Thought spent Mandela Day in the community of Dobsonville, Soweto. Hosted by one of our sponsored preschools, we spent the day preparing and serving soup and bread to local community members. With the help of our volunteers we also distributed beanies, blankets, and Jars of Hope.
With the help of all our partners we succeeded in serving more than 720 bowls of hearty soup, and handing out almost 500 Jars of Hope for Mandela Day 2023! What an amazing day. The AFFT team was joined on Tuesday by 86 volunteers, from 6 different local businesses, who made our event run smoothly. We also had two business groups and a number of individual volunteers who packed Jars of Hope and grated vegetables on Friday to help us get ready, and others who brought donations of jars and food!
Additionally, 5 of our other preschools have received special visits from their sponsors for Mandela Day. They have been blessed with toys, books, party packs and re-painted classrooms! Africa Food for Thought believes in long-term relationships to drive sustainability, so it is wonderful for us to see schools and companies forging these close bonds on special days!
“You have done a great thing for this creche and our community” shared Gogo Masoka from Siykhula Preschool, who hosted our soup kitchen on Mandela Day. Africa Food for Thought partners with our beneficiary preschools for these events so that we can help them raise their profile in their community and attract more children. Increasing their income creates sustainability for these preschools, who often are excluded from receiving government support because of their informal nature.
On Mandela Day, Tuesday the 18th of July, the soup was busy cooking from 5:30 in the morning so that it could be ready to be served in time – we had to prepare more than 300 litres of soup! By the time the first volunteers arrived at 8:00 we were ready to start mixing up our ingredients and by 10:30 the soup was ready to be served. It was well received by the community, with many people asking to take some home to relatives. The soup was served with two slices of bread, and some delicious nougat.
“My granny is at home and she cannot walk. I am happy to take this meal for her so that she can have something warm to eat.”
young man, Dobsonville
We also distributed more than 500 Jars of Hope. Thanks to feedback from our beneficiaries last year we have adapted the recipe, substituting samp for the original rice. This makes the soup much more hearty and tasty, and also means that it expands further. One jar can provide 8 cups of soup once it’s been boiled up. These jars primarily went to the elderly residents, and also families with children.
“I am happy to take this soup home for my children. I don’t usually have something healthy to feed them when they come home from school.”
A father in Dobsonville Community
Lastly, pensioners were able to choose a blanket or beanie from a donation generously provided by Liquid C2. With the cold weather we have been having lately this is very welcome and appreciated!
We would like to highlight all of the companies and organisations who supported our Mandela Day projects:
Anchor Yeast
Daisy Business Solutions
Fleming Pre-Primary
Harcourts Rhino
HDI Global
Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa
Moody’s
Nova Pioneer School
Ooba Home Loans
Rhenus Logistics
Sally Williams
Standard Bank
Telspace
The Angry Chef
Thompsons Holidays
UJ Community Engagement
Wilro Park Baptist Church