In celebration of Mandela Day, 1 080 adults and children gathered at the Market Hall in GrandWest to give 67 minutes of their time toward a worthy cause — packing meals for children in need.
The event, organised by Rise Against Hunger (RAH) in partnership with GrandWest, brought together volunteers from corporate businesses including Nedbank, Standard Bank and Good Hope FM, as well as 42 learners and three educators from Elswood-, Bellville South- and Rocklands High Schools. From 09:00 to 13:00, the Market Hall buzzed with energy as 24 teams, each with 432 volunteers per session, worked in synchronised production lines, packing a staggering 240 624 meals. These meals will feed over 1 046 children for a full year through various school feeding schemes.
GrandWest covered the R64 750 cost to allow learners and educators to participate and waived venue hire fees. Corporate team entry fees helped fund the dry ingredients and basic packaging.
2,5 million meals
This food-packing drive is part of RAH’s national Mandela Month campaign, which aims to pack 2,5 million meals in July to support 225 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across South Africa for a full year. The meal packs contain rice, soya, soup mix and a sachet with 23 essential vitamins and minerals, designed to meet children’s daily nutritional needs. Volunteers were treated to creative dishes made by GrandWest Executive Chef Keshan Rambarun using these very ingredients.
GrandWest General Manager Mervyn Naidoo expressed his gratitude to all who participated:
“Every person who volunteers their two hands for just 67 minutes, once a year, helps us pack well over a quarter of a million meals. Thank you to all the schools, small businesses, big corporates and staff for making a difference every year.”
Naidoo explained that GrandWest has hosted this initiative annually with RAH since its inception — even attended by Graça Machel at the inaugural event.
Rise Against Hunger
According to RAH Regional Manager Dayne Myles, Mandela Month alone accounts for 40% of the meals they pack annually, with 2,7 million meals packed in July 2024, feeding over 11 000 children for a year. Their ECD Connect programme channels savings on food into upgrades like first aid kits, sanitation facilities, and roof repairs — particularly benefitting female-led micro-enterprises running creches.
RAH identifies high-need areas, such as Stellenbosch, and partners with teacher-training organisations to ensure long-term development. “The meals provide more than nutrition,” says Myles.
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