Food and nutrition insecurity during childhood remains a persistent threat to human development, casting a long shadow over a child’s life trajectory and contributing to intergenerational cycles of poverty, malnutrition and poor health.
It impedes physiological and social development, preventing children from reaching their full potential. There is an alarming prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in South African children, emphasising the urgent need for interventions that address not only calorie intake but also the quality of food consumed. This echoes the findings of the 2016 South Africa Demographic and Health Survey, which revealed that 27% of children under 5 are stunted, a stark indicator of chronic malnutrition. (South African Child Gauge 2020: Food and nutrition security)
Feeding growing minds
Bringing this context to the table, the Sustainability Institute in Lynedoch is actively tackling childhood malnutrition in the valley because a hungry child cannot focus on learning. That’s why our Children’s Feeding Programme is so vital to the educational support we offer.
Every school day we provide meals to more than 100 children and youth, made possible through donor funding from the Jannie Mouton Foundation and ingredients received from the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA). We carefully plan our meals to ensure they meet the nutritional needs of each age group and provide a substantial portion of their daily calorie intake. Our focus is on balanced meals packed with fibre, protein, essential vitamins and minerals. To further enhance their nutrition, we supplement meals with an abundance of leafy greens and other vegetables harvested from our on-site permaculture garden. This approach ensures that the children in our care receive the nourishment they need to learn, play and thrive physically and cognitively.
To give you a sense of what we serve for meals, this is what our weekly menu looks like:
To make the meals even tastier and more nutritious, we grow our own indigenous herbs and edibles which add flavour, valuable anti-oxidants and colour to the dishes and our children tell us they love what they are eating.
Cost per meal
To provide some context for understanding the financial landscape of nutrition in South Africa, it’s important to consider the government’s investment in feeding programmes. The National School Nutrition Programme allocates approximately R5.70 per meal per day for primary and special needs schools, and R4.25 for secondary schools. This covers not only the food itself, but also essential aspects like cooking fuel, transport, and stipends for those who prepare the meals.
In early childhood development, the government provides a subsidy of R17 per child per day, with R7.65 of that specifically designated for daily nutrition. These are extremely small amounts to work with, also considering that for many children what they eat at school might be their only meals for the day.
We receive very basic ingredients from PSFA specifically for the Lynedoch Community School children, that they deliver on a weekly basis to our kitchen (items such as butternut, pilchards, rice). These ingredients are supplemented with our own ingredients and used together with fresh herbs, vegetables and spices to ensure the meals are not just nutritious, but tasty as well, minimising food waste. And every day the children enjoy their food with big smiles, many asking for seconds!
This is what it costs us to provide nutritional meals every school day, which include the food cost as well as the operational costs:
- Lynedoch Children’s House (porridge and lunch) R17 per child
- Lynedoch Community School (porridge, fruit and lunch) R17 per child
- Lynedoch Youth Programme (lunch) R16 per youth
These are equally small amounts, yet through creative combinations and growing our own vegetables and indigenous food we are able to offer tasty and nutritious meals that the children truly enjoy.
Food is not just about filling tummies
At the Sustainability Institute you will find the Green Café. This on-site coffee shop serves delicious, healthy meals to visitors and the wider community. It’s a vibrant space where people connect and enjoy food made with vegetables and herbs from the garden and that include local, wild indigenous plants. The Green Café is also a learning space, showcasing products made on site from the abundant produce.
Both the feeding programme and the Green Café are run by the Nourish team, who are passionate about creating delicious food through a just and regenerative food system. Our permaculture garden serves as an interactive teaching space, educating children and adults about regenerative growing practices.
At the Sustainability Institute, we believe true nutrition goes beyond just providing calories. We strive to cultivate a deep and broad appreciation of food and where it comes from and know it is the centre of a community’s wellness and ability to thrive. We are proud of finding innovative ways of serving wonderfully tasty meals to the children and youth with such a limited budget, and are truly thankful for our partners, the Jannie Mouton Foundation and the Peninsula School Feeding Association, for making this possible!