Nonprofit aims to feed 10,000 children for 100 days

A nonprofit organisation is set to help combat childhood hunger by feeding 10,000 children for 100 days.

Outside The Bowl Global, which operates from the Western Cape, plans to fill 4,000 20-litre buckets with its nutritious VitaKidz meal product and distribute them to 200 early childhood development (ECD) centres nationally.

Outside The Bowl Global supports communities, ECD centres and schools by providing them with nutritional, vitamin-enriched instant energy meals. With its latest initiative, the NPO is undertaking its most ambitious challenge yet. 

“By doing so, we will be feeding 10,000 children a day for 100 days, ensuring they have access to vital nutrition,” said Mark Maingard, the organisation's African CEO. 

Since 2006 it has distributed 40-million meals, including 4-million in South Africa since 2016.

To achieve its mission, Outside The Bowl Global is seeking the support of corporates, organisations and individual donors to raise R2m.

“With the R2m, we will be able to manufacture, package and distribute 1-million portions of our flagship product, VitaKidz,” said Maingard. 

“VitaKidz not only fills the bellies of these children, but also improves their health by providing essential vitamins.

“A single 20-litre bucket can sustain a child for an entire school year. Our aim is to alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition in South Africa and around the world.”

This campaign follows the success of last year's potjiekos event, where the organisation cooked 100 potjiekos pots and provided meals to more than 100,000 people.

Maingard said the recent launch of the One Million Meals campaign “acts as the start of a plan to join hands with corporates and manufacture and fill the buckets.

“While we operate globally, we are deeply rooted in South Africa. We envision a world where all children receive physical and spiritual nourishment. By 2025 our goal is to manufacture and provide 500,000 ambient nutritional meals per day worldwide.”

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