The Dobsonville primary school learners were delighted with their early morning treat, which also included snack packs, courtesy of the company that manages four of South Africa’s top stadiums.

In 2010, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Programme announced global figures of 925 million hungry people, 239-million of which were from sub-Saharan Africa. Less than two years later and the plight of the hungry is dire, particularly with rising food costs and droughts.

A host of SMSA employees assisted members of the African Community Feeding Scheme to distribute the snack packs and meals to the children this morning.

Gladwin Khangale, SMSA Trust managing trustee, expressed the company’s commitment to developing and uplifting the community. “The reality is that there are hundreds of millions of people across the world who are hungry every day and are dying of hunger and malnutrition. It’s a small gift from Stadium Management SA that we hope will at least ease the pain of those in need – even if just for the day.”

African Community Feeding Scheme, formerly known as African Children’s Feeding Scheme started in 1945 when the late Bishop Trevor Huddleston served peanut butter sandwiches at schools. Today ACFS is involved in seven separate but inter-related activities aimed at uplifting and empowering communities in Soweto, Kagiso, Alexandra, Thembisa, Daveyton, Kwa Thema and Tsakane. ACFS provides 31 500 children with milk and a peanut butter sandwich daily and also works towards promotes healthy lifestyles for these residents who are empowered to become financially stable and self sufficient through its micro economic empowerment programmes, community food gardens, health and nutrition education programme and HIV/Aids awareness.