Filling empty tummies in young communities on Mandela Day

Daily Maverick

2 days ago

Hunger is a reality in South Africa (SA) and so is unemployment, especially among the youth. Two organisations have partnered to fight these scourges on Nelson Mandela's birthday on 18 July.
A women's shelter, a school, an orphanage and an early childhood development centre will be among the recipients of nutrient-dense food bars distributed by E2G FOOD (E2G) in honour of Mandela Day.
E2G, a social enterprise that fights hunger worldwide, has partnered with United Way South Africa (UWSA) to deliver spirulina food bars to communities in SA throughout July. E2G produces these high-­protein, immunity-boosting bars packed with minerals and vitamins that are designed for communities with limited access to nutritious food.
The director of UWSA, Queen Mokonoto, says 500 to 800 youth in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, will be among the first recipients of these food bars. They will be distributed on a day that will also feature discussions about challenges the youth face, such as hunger, unemployment and finding ways to earn an income.
'One of the pillars of UWSA is education,' said Mokonoto. 'So with our youth empowerment we have a lot of entrepreneurial programmes, educational programmes. We'll be talking about how to apply for jobs, create CVs, look for employment, as well as how they can become entrepreneurs.'
The global Mandela Day campaign encourages people to spend 67 minutes of their time to support a chosen charity or serve in their local community. The 67 minutes represent the number of years that Madiba spent in public service.
Mokonoto says UWSA decided to collaborate with E2G because it would be a meaningful way to make an impact. In total, about 50,000 food bars will be distributed.
E2G describes its Superfood Power Bar as being packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. 'The bars are made with natural ingredients including dates, oats, nuts and spirulina,' says its website. They have an 18-month shelf life and the packaging can be recycled.
In addition to its Mandela Day campaign, the organisation has campaigns running in Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza, among others.
It also has spirulina microfarms – modular farms built with local communities and funded by global donors – to boost nutrition, income and resilience. Spirulina is known to grow on non-arable land with minimal water, making it an environmentally friendly solution for food production.
Youth job placements
UWSA has a big youth focus in terms of addressing issues such as health, access to food and gender-based violence. In response to the country's youth unemployment crisis, it has a programme that has helped to create opportunities for youth to become economically active through formal job placements, learnerships and entrepreneurial opportunities. It also warns unemployed young people desperate to find work to be wary of job scams.
'We do human trafficking awareness programmes as well as workshops in schools, because you know that people are desperately looking for employment, especially the youth,' said Mokonoto.
'Somebody can come to you and say, hey, there's a role for you somewhere in Dubai or in New Zealand or the US. You need to be aware of what is going on and also what the chances of being trafficked are and how to prevent becoming a victim.'
Focus on generosity
Mokonoto says Mandela Day shines a light on the importance of generosity and philanthropy. 'The day is not only about looking back, looking at the history of South Africa, looking at where we come from, but looking at unity, creating unity.
'But at the same time to say, OK, how do we ensure people understand philanthropy? How do we ensure that people understand giving back? When you look at Mandela Day, it's not only about giving back to children. It's also about giving back to places such as homes for the elderly, orphanages and vulnerable areas.'
Mokonoto has worked in various philanthropic endeavours over the years and says what drives her is making a change – even in just one person's life.
'I want to see every child having food. I want to see people grow. I like to see people developing and people really making a difference in others' lives, whether financially, through mentoring, coaching or whatever can make a difference.'
Mokonoto encourages people to partner with, support or volunteer in organisations such as UWSA, and many others that do this work 365 days of the year.
'Because it's about being selfless. Because throughout the year we are looking at ourselves – how can I get money for myself? How can I generate things for myself?
'But Nelson Mandela Day reminds us that we can be human and look at how we can give back to the less fortunate.' DM