Barloworld partnered with African Children's Feeding Scheme
For the increasing number of HIV/AIDS affected and infected children in previously disadvantaged areas in Johannesburg, the gift of a peanut butter and cheese sandwich and a glass of milk a day from the African Children’s Feeding Scheme (ACFS) is their primary defence against hunger and malnutrition. The scheme feeds 18 000 children a day, a third of whom are affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and of whom 15 under the age of 16 head up households.
According to Sister Rejoice Nkhutha, CEO of the scheme, it is difficult to determine exactly how many are infected by the virus. “There are an increasing number of children in the townships who have nothing to eat other than the meals we provide each day. Good nutrition is essential for any child’s development especially for those who are infected by HIV/AIDS. It is also imperative in helping fend off opportunistic disease - and for those who are taking anti-retroviral medication,” she says. With 13 feeding centres, six mobile vans and five tricycles which transport food into areas such as Kagiso in the West Rand, Alexandra, Tembisa, Daveyton, Kwa-Thema, Soweto and Zola, the organisation is able to reach children in areas most affected by poverty.
Started 61 years ago, the scheme has outstripped its original mandate of simply feeding the poverty stricken, to educating them through skills development and applications for grants. Its food gardening training project uses the Food Gardens Foundation method, attempting to make families self-sufficient with homegrown vegetables. The non-profit organisation depends on donor funding to continue its work, requiring just over R1.30 to feed a child a day. Nkhutha says that corporate sponsorship is especially important as it allows the organisation to expand its reach and feed additional children.
Assisting the organisation for 31 years, Barloworld is one such sponsor, recently donating R20 000 which will feed 500 children in Zola for a month. Besides contributing funds, the international diversified industrial company supports the scheme through the executive skills of its chairman, Warren Clewlow, who is one of the scheme’s office bearers.
Says Jennifer Smith, Barloworld head of corporate social investment: “Barloworld shares the same vision as the ACFS. By helping our children, we are investing in our nation’s future. Children are at the heart of every nation and, as such, have the right to basic nutrition, education and health care services.”
Jennifer Smith
Head: CSI
Barloworld Limited
Tel +27 11 445 1268
Fax +27 11 445 1581
Cell 082 808 5911
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