According to the MAMAS Alliance, as South Africa is in the 10th week of national lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has seen a sharp rise in poverty resulting in abject hunger.

In a national address, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that the top priorities for the financial relief package are to combat the virus and relieving hunger and social distress.

One of MAMAS Alliance's successful collaborations in response to this has been with the HCI Foundation and the eMedia COVID-19 Relief Fund. To date, 3 141 parcels have been distributed, ensuring the food security of over 12 500 people for one month.

The HCI Foundation is the vehicle for the social investment programme of investment holding company Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited.

"We are acutely aware of the increasing levels of hunger in many communities across the country while people wait for government and other sources of assistance to roll out," says Jamala Safari, CEO at HCI Foundation.

"It is, for this reason, we that have been working with a network of organisations across the country who we know and trust and who have local knowledge and experience to make sure that food parcels reach the families they are intended for," adds Safari.

MAMAS says that in the MAMAS Alliance network, the impact of these parcels has been life-saving across the 10 communities it focused on in the Northern part of South Africa, which is often far away from economic nodes.

The parcels contain essentials such as:
  • maize meal
  • samp 
  • sugar
  • split peas 
  • soya mince 
  • soup 
  • porridge
  • cooking oil, and 
  • laundry soap.
The alliance has indicated that families chosen to receive food parcels are pre-screened by the local NGOs, who have deep knowledge of specific community needs.

"Hunger relief is at the forefront of our efforts because the difference between 'the haves' and 'the have-nots' is extreme in South Africa," says Magali Malherbe, managing director for MAMAS Alliance. 

"This pandemic has only worsened it. The wealthy and the middle class can tap into savings to buy necessities, but there are many who have no income now, let alone reserves, to reach into to buy food," adds Malherbe. 

"Corporate South Africa has a valuable role to play in crisis times like we are facing now. We need to help the children who are starving," says Malherbe.

For more information, visit www.mamasalliance.com.