The NIDS-CRAM survey revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic had exacerbated child hunger, especially in the early stages of lockdown in 2020, and diminished years of progress against the scourge.

Even though South Africa is classified as being an upper middle-income country, the South African Child Gauge 2020 revealed that high stunting rates, micronutrient deficiencies and overnutrition (overweight and obesity) are prevalent in its children. It referred to this as the “slow violence of malnutrition”.

ForAfrika sees this in the communities where we work every day.

On the outskirts of the affluent town of Somerset West in South Africa, poor settlements lie ragged and neglected. Here children suffer from hunger and malnutrition like Vincent Mhirisawo did. It is a similar scenario around other towns and cities in the country where extreme wealth and extreme poverty exist sickeningly side by side.

ForAfrika, however, exists precisely to take notice of children like Vincent and assist where possible. Currently we feed about 1550 children at 35 Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in the small townships of Lwandle and Nomzamo near Somerset West. Bright Light Educare is one of them.

Vincent attended Bright Light from the age of three. During a Body Mass Index assessment, where children are weighed, measured and checked for signs of malnutrition, our field workers immediately spotted signs of malnutrition on Vincent’s little head and arms — they were covered in open sores.

After a few months of being served our fortified porridge - CSS+ - Vincent’s skin and head had completely healed. CSS stands for a Corn, Soya and Sugar blend and the + sign indicates the added magic ingredients; essential vitamins and minerals necessary for children’s optimal growth and development.