NPO provides nutritious meals to Helderberg pupils

Carmen Jacobs and OWN Correspondent|Published 5 months ago

As one of the Stone Soup food distribution points, hot meals were cooked and handed out to pupils at the Simanyene Secondary School in Asanda Village, Strand.

The Helderberg-based Stone Soup non-profit organisation have completed the final handout of their first food drive, where nutritional meals were cooked and distributed to pupils at local schools.

As part of their first project, the organisation ran a week-long meal drive at the Simanyene Secondary School, where during the school holiday, more than 800 pupils, who were accommodated at the school to study for their final examinations, were each given a hot meal.

This food drive coincides with National Nutritional Week, from Wednesday October 9 to Tuesday October 15, and the organisation’s objective is to plough back into the community by contributing to the provision of nutritious meals for those in need.

Founded in October last year, and receiving formal certification in June this year, one of the non-profit organisation’s co-founders, Monique Fourie, says she and the two other founding members, Anene Swart and Siobhan Brown, were prompted to establish the organisation as a means to contribute to the well-being of local children.

Ms Fourie says: “We are three mothers who wanted to make a difference in our local community by providing nutritious food and other essentials to support the young lives around us. We believe that investing in the well-being of children today will have a lasting impact on their future, and Stone Soup is our way of giving back.”

Following their work at Simanyene Secondary School, they have set their sights on the next goal to where the focus will be on a primary school in the Helderberg basin. This project, says Ms Fourie, will entail tackling mental health education with green sustainability.

“In partnership with Life Path Health Helderberg Clinic, we are launching a special initiative to educate scholars about mental health and the importance of self-care.

“We plan to sponsor each student with a small bean-growing kit they can nurture in their classrooms. By caring for these plants, we hope to remind them daily to take care of and love themselves,” she says.

Ms Fourie expressed thanks to the donors who made the food handout at Simanyene Secondary School possible, including Bakkies se Melkkos and Live Path Health Helderberg Clinic.

Staff members from Life Path Health Helderberg Clinic not only generously donated to the cause, but also rolled up their sleeves to assist with the preparation and cooking of the meals. From left, are Susan Joubert, Angelene Lewis, Downita Visagie, Claudia King and Frederica Fredericks.

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved and are excited to announce that Stone Soup’s 12-month plan will soon be available. We invite the community to get involved, donate, and help us make an even bigger impact in the coming months,” Ms Fourie says.

Simanyene Secondary School principal Monwabisi Matshoba said: “The soup was given at the right time because all my pupils were here, and the pupils loved and enjoyed the soup so much. It helped them a lot because they needed something hot on the days when the weather was not so good and many pupils commented on how delicious the soup was.”

Mr Matshoba said he hoped the school and the NPO would establish a working relationship going forward.

To read more about the work of Stone Soup, and to donate, visit stonesoupnpo.co.z or send a WhatsApp message to 079 663 7459.