Eastgate Shopping Centre hosted a Stop Hunger Now SA (SHN SA) meal packaging event on Human Rights Day. Scholars from St Dominic’s College Boksburg, Saheti and Albert Hlope Primary School joined together by volunteering to package the 20,000 meals on the day. The public visiting Eastgate were also invited to join in the fun and thoroughly enjoyed participating in the event.

Baby Jake Matlala World Champion Boxer, Candice Moodley Eastern Mosaic TV presenter and actor/model Stevel Marc all joined the fight to end hunger in South Africa. These celebrities joined the human production line and decanted ingredients.

The SHN SA programme has two main parts to its programme. First a meal packaging event takes place funded by Corporates, Civic Organisations and Faith Based Organisations. Volunteers are recruited to package the high protein, dehydrated meals. The SHN SA meals consist of soy, rice, dehydrated vegetables and a fortification pack of 21 essential vitamins and minerals specifically aimed at malnourished children.

SHN SA’s Outcomes Based Food Support Programme (OBFSP) focuses mainly on Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres. The meals are distributed to unregistered EDC’s and the savings made from having SHN SA meals supplied are utilised to upgrade their facility, educate their teachers and fulfil all the requirements necessary for registration with the Department of Social Development. This gives the ECD’s a hand-up and not a hand-out and for this reason the SHN SA programme remains a sustainable solution in the eradication of hunger in South Africa.

By hosting a SHN SA meal packaging event, Eastgate were instrumental in providing children with a basic human right - food. The 20,000 SHN SA meals will feed 151 children for six months.