The Tiger Brands Foundation (TBF) is an advocate of the dignity and well-being of learners in no-fee paying schools. To this end, the foundation has spent close to R5-million renovating and building kitchens in no-fee-paying schools this year.

Kefiloe Mokoena, TBF regional coordinator in Gauteng, says nutrition and hygiene go hand in hand. “In order to achieve a lasting impact on the health and growth of our beneficiary learners, hygiene and proper care in the food-making and -handling process is of the highest importance.”

He says, in addition to this, the foundation is passionate about supporting learners in ways that align with their core values of dignity, safety, nutrition, integrity and quality.

The foundation provides nutritious in-school breakfasts at 71 non-fee-paying schools across South Africa. It currently serves a hot cooked breakfast meal to more than 50 500 learners every school day.

This year, more than 6 340 learners in seven schools across South Africa benefited from new kitchens to the value of R4.8-million. Three of the seven kitchens are brand new while the remaining four are refurbishments of structures that already existed.

A new kitchen, for these schools that cater to more than a thousand learners each on average, means a cleaner and safer cooking space. The foundation’s school kitchen construction initiative transitions the meal preparation process from hazardous classroom culinary environments to hygienic, secure and dedicated kitchen facilities.

Partnerships

Mokoena says the foundation could not have done it alone. “We believe in partnering with other organisations, entities and businesses who share the same passion as ours. It is through these partnerships that we are able to jointly ensure that thousands of learners can start the school day with a healthy meal. Without these partnerships we would not be able to ensure these safe structures that stamp integrity and dignity in the eating process.”

Since inception in 2011, the foundation has been responsible for the building and refurbishing of more than 60 kitchens across the country. Mokoena says it would be remiss of them to claim to have done this alone. The assistance of advocacy groups and businesses who align with the foundation’s values has ensured the completion and quality of these structures. It is out of these kitchens that the TBF has managed to serve an upward of 150 million warm nutritious meals and counting.

The foundation goes a step further by training and placing volunteer food handlers in these kitchens. These food handlers are part of the community in which the school exists, ensuring that while the lives of learners are changing for the better, so, too, are the lives of community members.

Mokoena says this is a significant part of their nutrition programme. “These volunteers are individuals connected to the school – parents, elders and caregivers who are respected by the learners. Nothing beats having a “parent” prepare your food. Not only is it done with dignity, but they add the secret ingredient of care and intention into the meal,” he says.

“It also matters how and where meals are prepared. Our kitchen compliance policy has specific guidelines to be followed, which include the NSNP’s safety regulations and hygiene charts that are standard features in the kitchen, to serve as a reminder to food handlers on how to constantly practice good hygiene and food preparation. This forms part of our standard operating procedure.”

Mokoena says the kitchen is more than just a structure – it exists for a purpose and that is to prepare nutritious meals with dignity, integrity and respect.

“The intention when preparing food translates to the individual who ends up consuming that food. This is why we often hear phrases such as ‘made with love’. While love is a consideration, we are intentional in making food with dignity, holding everyone who may potentially participate in sharing the food that we make in high regard,” says Mokoena.

He adds that for this intention, the infrastructure goes a long way.

The state-of-the-art kitchen facilities are also fitted with appliances and amenities that allow for volunteer food handlers to prepare breakfast in a safe and accommodating environment.

Tangible benefit

“We started off with the desire to give each child a warm nutritious meal at the start of the school day. Over the years we came to learn of the various other needs that this one mission unearthed. We now know that a healthy nutritious meal needs to come from a safe, conducive, reliable and hygienic infrastructure.

“It has, therefore, become our ongoing dedication to enhancing educational environments to the tangible benefit of the learner,” Mokoena says.