A Gesture of Thanks

Nothing says 'Thank You' quite like a free warm meal

Hunger is a state of constant being for many South Africans. With high poverty and unemployment rates, food insecurity is a common challenge many households face within our country. In 2016, the Statistics South Africa General Household Survey found that an astonishing 7.4 million people were experiencing hunger.

“We should be paying attention. Roughly 50% of our population is food insecure or at risk of food insecurity. People are hungry or at risk, skipping meals or going for days without food so they can survive.”- Andy du Plessis, managing director of FoodForward South Africa

In response to this, the Molecular Biology and Human Genetics Community Advisory Board (CAB), together with the Molecular Biology Clinical Research Unit (MBCRU), have started a 'Yummy Tummy' initiative wherein the CAB supplies basic, warm-cooked meals (such as soup or Aknee) to clinical trial participants during the cold winter months. This initiative runs from Monday-Thursday, and is spearheaded by several nurses within MBCRU.

This project is heavily reliant on sponsorship; wherein most of the donations received are from local grocery stores. The CAB also actively raises funds through clothing drives and veggie sales, where donated items are "sold" to historically disadvantaged communities for a minimal price (for example R5 for a T-shirt). All proceeds go towards community outreach projects such as the "Yummy Tummy" Initiative and Madiba Day celebrations - to benefit the community.

As Tamsin Oxford once said "Change is coming but it is slow, and far more needs to be done; creating access to nutritious food will have a huge influence on this country’s people, economy and future."

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the CAB and MBCRU for all their outreach efforts. It is important to give back to the community as without them, our research would not be possible. If you would like to sponsor this wonderful project, please feel free to contact us - you can find our contact details on our home page.

Written By - Dannielle K Moore