Rise Against Hunger’s Brian says rising hunger in SA is a serious concern, particularly as new data shows nearly one in four children are living in severe food poverty. “I think probably the most concerning thing is that hunger in general within SA is on the increase, which is a huge concern,” Brian said.
Brian said government has taken some steps to respond to the crisis, but more urgent action is needed. “The government is taking some steps, and I know it’s been forefront on our president’s mind during some of his latest nation addresses. But yeah, there’s a lot to be done, and it is critical, and it’s very urgent,” Brian said.
Brian said hunger and malnutrition should not be treated as the same issue. A child may receive enough food to stop hunger but still lack the nutrients needed for healthy development. “Feed someone with a couple of bread rolls, and they’re no longer hungry, but they haven’t got the nutritional value out of that meal that they need,” Brian said.
Brian said nutrition is especially important during the first 1 000 days of a child’s life, from conception to the age of two. “We also have the statistic that one in four children are born developmentally stunted in South Africa,” Brian said.
According to Brian, developmental stunting affects a child’s ability to compete with peers, complete school and access tertiary education, reinforcing poverty across generations. “The chances of them finishing high school are very slim, which means no tertiary education options. And so you end up in this perpetual cycle of poverty,” Brian said.
Brian said school feeding programmes are important, but they often begin too late because most support starts from Grade 1. More attention is needed during pregnancy and early childhood.
Brian said many unregistered early childhood development centres do not receive government support and rely on school fees of about $18 to $21 a month.
Rise Against Hunger focuses on linking nutrition to education by easing food costs for centres so more resources can be used to improve learning environments. “It’s about linking nutrition and education,” Brian said.
Brian said long-term solutions must also include sustainable food sources and stronger collaboration between government, civil society, business and communities. “I think corporate SA have really stepped up over the years,” Brian said.
Brian said many companies now work closely with charities through corporate social investment programmes, but the scale of need remains significant. “The challenge is huge. I think that’s the biggest problem,” Brian said.
–ChannelAfrica–
