By Celeste Hewett - CH Communications
This year’s Danone Clover Kids ‘Caring for Our Children’ Campaign has taken up the cause of childhood hunger and food security. Through the campaign, Danone Clover aims to contribute towards creating more than 1,7 million meals, together with Food Gardens Foundation, for children in underprivileged schools this year.
Every shopper who purchased Danone Clover yoghurt, dairy-fruit juice blend, maas, and Ultramel custard in June has helped Danone Clover contribute to the creation of much needed, sustainable food gardens at underprivileged schools. Every shopper who purchases Danone Clover products again in July will do the same.
Children start out as inquisitive, active and hope-filled beings, innocent and vulnerable in their dependency on their families and other adults. Childhood should be a time of happiness and health, a few short years in which they learn how to cooperate, contribute, and start on the road to self-fulfilment. Sadly, for many little ones, childhood isn’t like that.
One South African child in five goes to bed hungry at night.
Food, or the lack of it, is one of the factors affecting the nutritional status of children in South Africa. ‘A hungry mind cannot concentrate, a hungry body does not take initiative, a hungry child loses all desire to play and study.’
In other words, one child in five South African children may not achieve their potential to concentrate, take initiative, enjoy play or study hard.
Danone Clover believes that action is the answer - action that is within the grasp of people themselves. If only they are shown how.
Danone Clover’s international mission statement is ‘To bring health through food to as many people as possible.’ That is why, in South Africa, the Danone Clover Kids ‘Caring for Our Children’ campaign has aligned itself with the Food Gardens Foundation.
At the halfway point in this year’s campaign, half of the gardens planned have been established. The Food Gardens Foundation, together with Danone Clover, is implementing the trench-bed method of food gardening at the schools. The method has been in successful use for over 25 years. It is sustainable and environmentally sound and uses natural resources and waste to provide nutrients and water for the crops.
The Food Gardens Foundation together with Danone Clover has been giving the schools a two-day training course and will continue coaching and providing support for each garden, with eight visits a year. Able children, parents and teachers are taking part in the creation and maintenance of the gardens.
The benefits include sustainability, skills development and empowerment of each school and local community, and children will benefit in particular through improvement of food security thereby addressing their hunger.
According to Danone Clover, consumers can make a real difference on all levels. Thanks to the campaign, kids can start to be kids in spite of their circumstances. Danone Clover sees its support of Food Gardens Foundation as an invaluable way in which to ensure more South African children can enjoy the right to nutritious food.