World Food Day: Engen’s R2m fuel donation boost FoodForward SA’s fight to address Food Insecurity and Malnutrition
As part of their ongoing commitment to address growing food insecurity and child malnutrition, Engen has pledged another R2 million in fuel support to FoodForward SA, bringing its total fuel contribution to the organisation to R8 million since 2020.
This vital support enables FoodForward SA trucks to collect good quality surplus food from farmers, manufacturers and retailers, and then traverse vast distances, distributing nutritious monthly food provisions to remote rural communities across South Africa.
In celebration of World Food Day on 16 October, a team of Engen employees volunteered to help sort, prepare, and pack food at FoodForward SA’s warehouse in Lansdowne, Cape Town, with the food set for distribution to 2,750 beneficiary organisations across the country.
“It is estimated that Engen along with other volunteers contributed to distributing the equivalent of an astounding 1,8 million meals on World Food Day,” commented Andy Du Plessis, Managing Director of FoodForward SA, who also highlighted that 2024 marks the organisation's 15th anniversary, a milestone that underscores their significant impact in connecting surplus food with those in need.
Du Plessis commended Engen for their unwavering support and for raising awareness about World Food Day, and partnering with FoodForward SA to increase access to food to vulnerable communities.
“We thank Engen for their ongoing generosity and for caring enough to make a real difference. Their annual fuel support helps FoodForward SA address concerningly high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition across the country and ensures that many more impoverished households receive healthy food provisions.”
Engen CSI Manager, Olwethu Mdabula, said: “As a brand that aims to improve the lives of the communities in which we operate, Engen is humbled to partner with FoodForward SA and do our part on World Food Day.”
“We hope that the efforts of the Engen team, along with our fuel contribution, will play a small part in ensuring FoodForward SA’s ongoing success in assisting marginalised communities,” she added.
Engen congratulated FoodForward SA on their 15th anniversary milestone, recognising the organisation's tireless efforts to improve food security across South Africa.
World Food Day, celebrated annually on 16 October, is dedicated to raising awareness about sustainable food systems and addressing food insecurity worldwide.
FoodForward SA was established in 2009 to connect a world of excess to a world of need by recovering quality edible surplus food from the consumer goods supply chain and distributing it to community organisations that serve the poor.
Engen champions nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, both aimed at ensuring health and addressing food insecurity.
“As a caring and inclusive company with ‘heart,’ our support for FoodForward SA aligns with Engen’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which endeavour to ensure a better and more sustainable future for all,” commented Mdabula.
Supplied by: Engen.
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