How KFC Add Hope turns the message of World Hunger Day into action

In 1994, the year he became South Africa’s first democratic president, Nelson Mandela told an interviewer that “freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomachs”. Three decades later, on the eve of the 15th annual World Hunger Day on May 28, hunger remains unconquered. The UN Children’s Fund said one in four South African children live in severe food poverty, at risk of life-threatening malnutrition. Two out of three households experience some level of food insecurity and nearly one in five families have run out of food or gone to bed hungry, according to last year’s National Food and Nutrition Security Survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council.

“Knowing about the problem is important, but when dozens of children are dying from malnutrition every month, doing something about it saves lives,” said Andra Nel, Head of Corporate Affairs at KFC Africa.

“With the support of its customers’ donations, that’s what KFC Add Hope has been doing for the past 16 years, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that we’ve changed the lives of more than 1.2 million children in that time.”

KFC asks customers to give R2 to Add Hope when they pay for their orders, donations that have added up to more than R711 million. With the addition of KFC’s contribution, over R1.2 billion has been distributed to partner organisations. More than 133,000 meals are served daily on average.

Nel said Add Hope develops close relationships with its partners, which are regularly audited and required to provide meals that are nourishing, culturally relevant, age-appropriate and cost-effective. 
“Every meal is designed to support the cognitive, physical, social and psychological development of children, and years later we often hear inspirational stories of how they have done just that,” she said.

Itumeleng Lebese was 16 when she started going to Afrika Tikkun in Diepsloot, Soweto, a longstanding Add Hope partner. “I knew from the moment I stepped onto the premises that I had found my home. The first thing Afrika Tikkun did with me was instill confidence and help me find my voice. Another great benefit was knowing that a plate full of a nourishing meal awaits you after school,” she said. 

Last year, Itumeleng graduated from Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha with qualifications in communications and public relations, and her advice to young people is: “Keep going, even when it feels like no one sees you or understands your struggle. Your current situation does not define your worth or your future.”

Brutus Maake was introduced to Afrika Tikkun in Diepsloot after failing grade 9 at the age of 16 and said the organisation has brought “numerous benefits” to his life. “Through Afrika Tikkun I developed the ability to articulate myself effectively, particularly in English. This skill has helped me thrive in university, where I am studying law,” he said. 

Goitsemodimo Tefo, who was raised in Diepsloot by his grandmother, said: “Afrika Tikkun had a transformative impact on my life, steering me away from the dangers of gangsterism, drug and substance abuse, and alcohol abuse. It helped me develop crucial social skills and gave me opportunities that enabled and expanded my dreams beyond the limits of my imagination.”

With BA and LLB degrees from Wits University under his belt, Goitsemodimo advises young people facing similar challenges to understand the power of building relationships and networking, and to “dream beyond what seems possible”.

Nel says stories like these constantly emerge from Add Hope’s 126 partner organisations and their 4,048 feeding centres in every province. “The impact study we published last year described the numerous ways in which a daily meal changes children’s lives – everything from better health and school attendance to enhanced resilience and social skills,” she said. 

“World Hunger Day highlights this issue once a year, but hunger is a grinding daily reality for millions of South African children. That’s why Add Hope and its partner organisations will never stop providing hungry kids with the nutrition that can transform their lives. A heartfelt thank you to the KFC customers whose R2 donations enable us to continue this lifesaving work,” Nel concluded.