After launching a R50 million appeal in response to the Covid-19 lockdown in South Africa, FoodForward SA has received over R11 million in financial and food donations. FoodForward SA is a food redistribution nonprofit, and the drive is part of the organisation’s strategy to mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19 on the nutrition of vulnerable groups.

The Managing Director of FoodForward SA, Andy du Plessis, thanked all South Africans, FoodForward SA’s partners and the donors who responded to the call for action and made donations. He said, ‘With 57 million South Africans told to stay home, FoodForward SA has obtained a permit to operate as an essential service during the lockdown and will be directing all its efforts to ensure that shelters, facilities for the disabled, and Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) that are providing food parcels for at-risk individuals receive much-needed food relief through our network of beneficiary organisations’.

In addition to its call for donations, the organisation has extended an invitation to all registered NPOs to apply to become FoodForward SA beneficiary organisations. Although the registration process is usually a three-month process, the Managing Director said that FoodForward SA is fast-tracking the registration of charities and NPOs in vulnerable communities. He said that his organisation is prioritising rural communities with the intention of extending its reach to all nine provinces, including Mpumalanga, the Limpopo, and Northern Cape.

‘We are prioritising charities that provide essential services to older persons, orphans and vulnerable children, people living with HIV / Aids and TB, and people in vulnerable rural communities. We anticipate that things will get worse before they start to improve and urge the public to continue to support us in our efforts’, he said.

Source: Talk of the Town

Photo source: Produce Marketing Association