Children receiving gifts from the Zero2Five Trust at the Ephangweni Hall during the festive period. Picture: Supplied
Non-profit organisation Zero2Five Trust has partnered with Durban’s Victor Daitz Foundation to implement a holiday nutrition and fun programme for more than 4000 families in rural areas to ensure that children are fed during the six-week school holiday break.
An estimated 68% of KZN families with school children currently depend on regular meals provided by the National School Nutrition Programme or other feeding schemes.
This makes the holiday period an increasingly difficult time, which is why this forward-thinking nutritional partnership is now running for a fifth consecutive year from mid-December.
Julika Falconer, CEO of Zero2Five, said their December holiday clubs have become the highlight for the various outreach areas they service throughout the year, and the fortified porridge distribution to over 4 000 households is a much-welcomed contribution for struggling families.
“Three of our caring, long-standing KZN funders also help each year to ensure 450 children have fun-filled days at our holiday clubs at three rural venues,” said Ms Falconer.
The three funders include the Victor Daitz Foundation, Marriott Investment Managers, and The Willowton Group.
Started by Victor Daitz in 1984, the foundation is one of Durban’s oldest and most engaged family trusts, supporting a wide spectrum of causes across the province.
In 2014, Marriott Investment Managers came on board as one of the first annual grant-makers for Zero2Five, supporting many Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and providing vital assistance to Zero2Five with financial management.
The Willowton Group from Pietermaritzburg funds Zero2Five’s ECD centre-based nutrition programme throughout the year, adding much-needed food items for the holiday club meals in December.
This year, holiday club attendees will also benefit from six new soccer goals, balls, and various games, with face painting and group activities a firm favourite.
Amid the rising cost of food, high inflation, and an unemployment rate of just under 32%, families are simply struggling to feed their children. The recent Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group shows soaring food prices in South Africa in 2023. The October report indicates that a staggering 64.2% of black South Africans now live below the upper-bound poverty line of R 1 558, as outlined by Stats SA.
The month-on-month comparison shows that feeding a child a basic, nutritious diet increased by R25.30 between September and October 2023. Compared with last October, when it cost an average of R825.31, families now have to find another R107.42 to feed one child the same amount in October 2023.
As it stands, the much-debated Child Support Grant of R510 is set well below the food poverty line of R760, and further below the average cost of R932.73 to secure a basic nutritious diet for a child in one month. These numbers, combined with school meal gaps at various school levels, result in many children going to bed hungry during the holidays, at a time when they should be enjoying a well-deserved break.