The Setup
For the second year in a row, Sun International Time Square in Menlyn, Pretoria challenged its employees, local businesses, and local and international governments to fight against hunger in commemoration of Mandela Day. In collaboration with Rise Against Hunger (an NGO focussed on eradicating world hunger by 2030 ), saw volunteers invest 67 minutes of their time on packaging lines at Time Square to pack meal parcels for needy children.
The speakers at the event were the Minister for Social Development, Ms Susan Shabangu, MP; the Chief Executive Officer of Sun International, Anthony Leeming; Chief Operations Officer of Sun International, Thabo Mosololi; the Acting Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Jan Huesken, and the Ambassador of Switzerland, Helene Budliger Artieda. The Ambassadors of the Embassies of the United States, France, Chile, Holland and United Emirates, as well as representatives from the Nelson Mandela Foundation, South African Breweries, City of Tshwane, Nissan SA, Vodacom, Volvo, Telkom and Menlyn Maine Investment Holdings were amongst the volunteers. SAPS Brigadier Nair was also amongst the special guests.
The Challenge
The goal was to pack 200 000 meals at the event. This target was exceed, with a grand total of 227 664 meals packed on the day. Each parcel contains 216 meal bags which in turn contain six meals each. The contents are carefully planned to provide for the nutritional needs of children, including rice, soya, soup mix and a vitamin sachet containing 23 essential vitamins and minerals. The Rise Against Hunger food packing challenge began in 2015 when some 1.2-million meals were packed on International Mandela Day. Since then, the Rise Against Hunger food packing drive on International Mandela Day has grown considerably to see over 3-million meals packed on one day in 2017.
The Results
The campaign was part of a nationwide drive, with similar food packing events taking place at three other Sun International properties – The Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth, GrandWest in Cape Town, and Carnival City on the East Rand – as well as other venues across the country. The target was to pack 3-million meals in one day.
Support Rise Against Hunger Regardless of your location on the map, age, schedule or resources, Rise Against Hunger believes you can make a positive difference in the fight against hunger. Even seemingly small contributions can have a big impact. Rise Against Hunger would like to invite you to take action and join our growing movement to end hunger worldwide by 2030. Get involved by donating to the cause, or perhaps host your very own packing event. Though Mandela Day only comes once a year, it is up to us to make a change in this world. Contact Rise Against Hunger online or pop them a message on Facebook.
