Friday October 16 is World Food Day, a UN-sponsored event to highlight the issues of food security and global hunger. This year’s theme, Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis, looks at the effects of the recent financial crisis on hunger across the planet. In South Africa, hunger affects 14 million people daily, and this figure is unfortunately growing.
To mark the week, FoodBank is planning an extensive media and publicity campaign, as well as launching our donations platform internationally. Highlights of the week are:
Care 2 Carry Bags:
It is that time of year again - FoodBank South Africa (FoodBank SA) and Fruit & Veg City have partnered up for their annual national Care 2 Carry campaign to raise money for hunger relief in South Africa.
The Care 2 Carry bags - colourful, oversized shopping bags designed by the pupils of Luzuko Primary School in Guglethu - are perfect to lug anything (from groceries to gym clothes and everything in between) and are available now for about R10 at all Fruit & Veg City retail outlets nationwide. Fruit & Veg City will donate R2 to FoodBank South Africa for every bag sold - R2 is enough money to create four meals.
To kick off the campaign, Fruit & Veg City donated 50 specially branded Care
2 Carry shopping bags filled with produce to the students of Kuyasa Educare in Gugulethu, on Thursday, 08 October 2009. The children were very excited and celebrated the gift by singing and dancing for FoodBank SA and Fruit & Veg City representatives.
The initial campaign, launched in 2008, raised more than R150 000 by selling brightly coloured shopping bags designed by the pupils of the Luzuko Primary School in Gugulethu.
The Lunch Gang:
Four colleagues from FoodBank South Africa have got together to create a social media campaign to focus on World Food Day, and its particular relevance to South Africa. They will be giving what they spend on lunch in a week to FoodBank South Africa, and challenging you to do the same. Each day they will discuss and blog during their lunch hour about a topic related to World Food Day, as well as run a daily competition to guess what they are having for lunch. To join in on the conversation, visit http://www.lunchgang.org. If you are into social media (or your children are!), you can also follow the Lunch Gang on Facebook, Twitter, LetterDash and MxIt.
R5 000 IN PRIZES TO BE WON - JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION (http://www.foodbank.org.za/lunch-gang)
eTV Breakfast Interview:
FoodBank SA will be a guest on the eTV Breakfast Show on World Food Day, 16 October. You will get a chance to get a closer view of what FoodBank is currently doing in South Africa, and what our plans are over the next few years. Be sure to tune in.
We hope that during this week, you will take the time to share the story of FoodBank South Africa with friends, colleagues and in your faith communities. Ending hunger in South Africa is the single most important investment in securing our country’s future.