Hundreds of volunteers made their mark at the FoodForward SA (FFSA) packing event held at the Durban International Convention Centre on Friday.

The Mandela Day initiative met the target of packing 500 tons of food, the equivalent of two million meals for the FFSA network consisting of over 2,500 beneficiary organisations. 

This, in turn, would feed over 935,000 food-insecure individuals daily. These include orphans, vulnerable women and children, the elderly and frail, those suffering from disabilities and chronic diseases, at-risk youth and the homeless and indigent.

Sunday Tribune partnered with FFSA for the Mandela Day activation. Some of the food packs will go towards one of the Daily News Milk Fund beneficiaries.

In honour of Nelson Mandela, volunteers joined hands to help FFSA pack food items simultaneously at Nasrec in Johannesburg and Century City in Cape Town.

FFSA will distribute the items during winter to their network of beneficiary organisations that not only offer meals but also life-changing social support.

Mandela Day is commemorated each year on July 18, calling on all people to dedicate 67 minutes of service in honour of his 67 years of activism.

Warren William, FFSA regional operations manager, said that they are a leading food redistribution organisation that tackles food insecurity by rescuing edible surplus food and distributing it to vulnerable communities. Volunteering contributed to reducing hunger, combating food waste, empowering communities, and uplifting livelihoods.

Bobbie Jacobs, the fund development manager at FFSA, explained that they held the packing event at their Pinetown-based warehouse, but due to the overwhelming response from volunteers, they needed a bigger venue which the Durban ICC sponsored. 

Jacobs said volunteers were taken through the packing stages with instructions laid out on the table explaining which product was required and the quantity. 

Once a crate was full, it was stacked and ready to be loaded onto a truck to be transported to Pinetown, from where it would be distributed. 

Jacobs noted that the volunteers were performing the same tasks as their staff do daily.

“We are grateful for whatever assistance we received, including from our food sponsors. We do run a corporate volunteer program where volunteers give two hours of their time. These programs are held between February and May and then between August and November,” Jacobs explained.  

On Friday, three sessions were held with items packed in bulk for example; maize meal, canned mixed vegetables, Rusks,  juice mix, baby food and peanut butter.

Tamlyn Theron from Durban North said she saw the FFSA notice on Facebook and decided to bring her daughters, Olivia and Rachel, along to assist. Theron said it was a wonderful experience. Her daughters attend Our Lady of Fatima Dominican Convent School and Chelsea Preparatory School in Durban North, where they also volunteer their time for humanitarian projects.

“It was well organised and coordinated,” she said.

Nokuphiwa Mabaso, a volunteer, said this was a first-time experience for her.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of one of the biggest hamper drives in South Africa.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za 

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