The Temba Bavuma Foundation has partnered with KFC to expand the FHS Lunchbox Project, a nutrition initiative run by the Frida Hartley Shelter (FHS) that currently provides around 200 meals a day to vulnerable schoolchildren in Yeoville.
FHS has run the Lunchbox Project for many years. The Temba Bavuma Foundation is now taking on responsibility for the project’s sustainability and fundraising to secure its future, while KFC’s support will help strengthen and expand its reach. FHS built the project, the Foundation is securing its future, and KFC is helping make that possible.
Every school day, children stop at FHS on their way to school to collect a lunchbox. For some, it is the only reliable meal they will have that day. What may seem like a simple sandwich can make a significant difference to a child’s ability to concentrate, participate and learn.
The Foundation has worked alongside FHS for years through food drives at the Shelter, making the Lunchbox Project a natural extension of an existing partnership.
Education is one of the Foundation’s core pillars, and it regards nutrition as essential to learning. A child cannot fully benefit from education when they arrive at school hungry. For the Foundation, supporting education starts with ensuring children are fed.
Under the Foundation’s stewardship, the project will continue providing nutritious sandwiches to approximately 200 children every school day, with the capacity to grow over time. On some days, the project already reaches as many as 300 children.
Temba Bavuma, founder of the Temba Bavuma Foundation, added that “At the Foundation, we have always believed that you cannot separate a child’s education from their wellbeing. A hungry child is not a child who lacks potential. They are a child who has been let down by circumstance. By taking on the Lunchbox Project, we are making sure that no child in this community has to choose between being fed and being fully present at school.”
FHS welcomed the Foundation’s involvement in the project. “At FHS, we believe that education starts with a meal. By feeding children, we help create classrooms where they are healthy, present and ready to learn.”
Andra Nel, People, Culture and Purpose Director at KFC, said that “At KFC, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and reach their potential, and we know that is not possible without proper nutrition. We are honoured to support the Temba Bavuma Foundation and the Frida Hartley Shelter in feeding future potential. Together, we can help ensure that more children are able to focus on what matters most: their future.”
The Lunchbox Project forms part of the Temba Bavuma Foundation’s broader work across education, cricket and community development as the Foundation celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
