'SITUATION IS BAD' Religious groups address food security

RELIGIOUS organisations in South Africa are stepping up to combat the growing food insecurity and malnutrition crisis among children.

- YOSHIN! PERUMAL [e-mail]

However, they have cautioned that short-term interventions are not sustainable and more needs to be done to address food insecurity in the country.

Pavan Maharaj, project manager of Nourish to Flourish, a feeding programme started by the Chinmaya Mission of South Africa, said the need for nutritious meals had surpassed the demand in Chatsworth and surrounding areas.

He said the programme was started after they identified a need for food, especially among children.

“The situation is bad. We currently feed 900 children and about 300 adults daily. The most affected areas in Chatsworth are Montford and Welbedacht. We have seen children crying from hunger when doing home visits, and it is sad to see their emotions. Some of them go for over 48 hours without meals.

“This is due to the challenges of domestic situations, poverty and gender-based violence, which leads to children not having a supportive environment. They face the consequences by going to school hungry and spend eight hours listening without concentrating, as they do not have the ability to focus because they are hungry,” he added.

Maharaj said there was a growing demand for nutritious meals in schools.

“We have had qualitative feedback from teachers and principals since we began the Flourish to Nourish feeding programme in October last year, and the demand for nutritious meals is growing.

“Children are the future of the country and we have to look after them. We are currently providing meals to 16 schools in Chatsworth and surrounding areas, and next week, we will be catering to four more schools. We partner with schools and 15 organisations to help us find the children in need.