Addressing hunger

Short and long-term solutions are needed

Corene Conradie, Gift of the Givers coordinator in the Eastern Cape

Gift of the Givers significantly contributes to the global fight against hunger, saving the lives of both humans and animals who are starving or malnourished.

It's almost unbelievable that children still die of starvation in South Africa, a country that prides itself on being food secure. However, nearly one in four children suffer permanent mental stunting due to malnutrition. As the Gift of the Givers coordinator in the Eastern Cape, Corene Conradie faces this grim reality daily. A single mom of three, the super-organised Corene is a familiar sight in the disaster-prone province, appearing with food parcels or blankets, a smile and the upbeat greeting, "Hello, my darlings", in a province that needs every bit of help it can get.

In a recent interview with Biznews, Corene said 80% of people in the Eastern Cape lives in poverty and below the breadline, many of them families that are child-led households with no parents.

Whilst participating in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the organisation became aware of the tragic deaths of 167 children in the Eastern Cape.

"In a resource-rich country like South Africa, death resulting from starvation is unacceptable," Corene says.

Gift of the Givers supports communities in South Africa and worldwide by delivering food parcels to fight hunger and famine.

Short-term solutions
Gift of the Givers' response to the hunger crisis in South Africa includes the provision of food parcels. It stresses that this is not a long-term solution but critical to alleviate the immediate suffering. In the absence of a viable alternative, providing a food parcel might be life-saving. The organisation employs a well-rounded approach to its food parcel intervention.

Provide practical foodstuff
In many disaster-stricken areas, there are limited facilities to store protein-rich resources like meat. Thankfully, the protein-based Sibusiso food supplement, the world’s first high-energy groundnut and protein supplement, requires no refrigeration. The product, innovated by the organisation, is ideal as a disaster-relief foodstuff. It was specifically formulated by Gift of the Givers to address severe malnutrition, muscle wasting, low energy levels, nutritional challenges, weakness and decreased appetite.

Long-term solutions
Apart from short-term assistance, the organisation continuously seeks and delivers practical solutions to effect long-term change. It develops and implements small-scale self-help agricultural projects within needy communities, empowering them to improve food security levels.

Drought relief

Recently, Gift of the Givers responded to the drought in South Africa's rural areas. The response included, among other things, the provision of food parcels to farmworkers, animal feed, boreholes for farmers and drought-resistant crops, such as sweet potato vines.

The Save the Sheep fundraising and awareness campaign, led by the retired politician, activist and former cabinet minister Derek Hanekom, received tremendous support from the South African farming community.

The campaign aimed to support farmers with fodder and water for their livestock to prevent further loss during the drought.

Bee project
Gift of the Givers recognises the vital role bees play in our environment. Stemming from a partnership formed in response to the Knysna fire in 2017, Gift of the Givers assisted in rehoming and rehabilitating many bees in their Hope for the Honeybees project. Gift of the Givers donated beehive components and food for bees to survive.

Get involved

South Africa
Toll-free number: 0800 786 911
Email: info@giftofthegivers.org
Web: giftofthegivers.org