Lead SA has called on all South Africans to roll up their sleeves to help curb hunger and contribute towards food security by planting their own vegetable gardens in their homes and workplaces.
“Too many South Africans go to sleep hungry every day with no idea what they will eat the next morning,” said Lead SA’s Terry Volkwyn. “It’s also unacceptable that children go to school on empty stomachs and are expected to concentrate in class.”
He said in the true spirit of active citizenship LeadSA encourages South Africans to heed the call to curb hunger not only by starting their own vegetable gardens on their pavements, but by also donating surplus food to feeding schemes in our communities.
At the launch of Nelson Mandela International Day (Mandela Day) 2014 in April, then Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe announced food security as one of the three major themes, with the other two being literacy and shelter.
“Food insecurity is not just a global concern, but is affecting South Africa too,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement shortly after the launch.
“According to a research report released by the Human Sciences Research Foundation (HSRC) in August, only 45,6% of the South African population is food secure.”
