Food security vital in old-age care, says FoodForward SA
Non-profit organisation FoodForward SA hopes to help raise awareness of the important work beneficiary organisations do to help the elderly.
Non-profit organisation FoodForward SA hopes to help raise awareness of the important work beneficiary organisations do to help the elderly.
CAPE TOWN, September 30 (ANA) – Food security is fundamental to caring for the elderly and building a collective heritage, says non-profit organisation FoodForward SA.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects on the physical and mental wellbeing of the elderly.
In a statement, non-profit organisation FoodForward SA Managing Director Andy du Plessis said offering support to vulnerable elderly and the organisations that take care of them is now more important than ever.
FoodForward SA secures quality edible surplus food from retail and supply chain partners as well as farmers and redirects it to vulnerable and food-insecure communities across South Africa.
Instead of ending up in landfills, nutritious food is redirected from their warehouses to a network of just over 1,000 beneficiary organisations that serve 412,000 beneficiaries daily.
It serves 62 beneficiary organisations (BOs) that support 13,842 elderly people. This makes up 6 percent of its 1005 BOs. The majority of these are located in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
“We still have some work to do to have a more representative footprint especially one that includes more rural communities,” Du Plessis says.
According to Stats SA, the province in South Africa with the highest proportion of elderly people is the Eastern Cape (11.45 percent) followed by the Western Cape (10.31 percent) and the Northern Cape (10.21 percent).
“Of our BOs that focus on the elderly, seven are served via our Mobile Rural Depot programme, which involves the transportation of surplus food from their warehouses to a central collection point in rural communities,” Du Plessis says.
According to Du Pessis, BOs that focus on the elderly not only offer health and frail care but also psychological support.
She says that they are often the only point of call for thousands who are already feeling socially isolated.
In 2019, FoodForward SA received a grant of R526,562 from the Old Mutual Staff Volunteer Fund Trust (OMSVFT) to support 10 identified beneficiary organisations (BOs) that serve the elderly.
The 10 BOs are located in the Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth), KwaZulu-Natal (Dundee, Imbali, Mandini, Lamontville and Chatsworth), North West (Tlhabane, Mokgalwaneng and Tlaseng) and the Free State (Bloemfontein).
The 10 BOs collectively serve 1,378 beneficiaries.
During Older Persons Week, which is celebrated from September 30 to October 6 in South Africa, Du Plessis says they hope to help raise awareness of the important work these organisations do.
In addition, during Older Persons Week, International Day for Older Persons (October 1) and Grandparents Day (October 4) they will also be celebrated.
“As Heritage Month draws to an end, we must not forget to reflect on the important role our elders play in building our collective heritage.
“They have laid the foundation for our children’s children and we should not forget to show them our respect and gratitude,” Du Plessis says.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay
