Author: Altra Ambassador Erin Wulfsohn
“As a result of proper nutrition and education, children have the opportunity to thrive both physically and mentally.”
I work for a small, tight knit digital agency based in Cape Town called Reach Digital. We were approached by fellow runner André Redinger to look at creating amplification behind his incredible feeding program, The Southern Lodestar Foundation - a registered NPO based in Hilton, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.
image: Erin and Andre at Karkloof 100, 2019
The Southern Lodestar Foundation is currently feeding over 20,000 children in schools and ECD centres for R1.30 a meal. This meal is a highly nutritional breakfast porridge that is 100% locally farmed, sourced and produced. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown and closure, many children in rural communities are now completely without the meals they've come to rely on.
We launched the #FeedOneMillion campaign during April with the goal to raise as much as we could to feed as many children through COVID-19 and beyond. It was received with such great support by the public and we’ve raised approximately R1.5m+ since.
All funds that are raised will continue to go to ramping up food production and delivery to those in need. With the backing of the SPAR groups and SAPPI South Africa, it means that the food is delivered, santised and with COVID-19 precautions in place.
I bumped into André at the prestigious Karkloof 100 miler in Durban last year, with a few of his athletes. As well as the Southern Lodestar Foundation being an incredible support to feeding communities, they also have a wildly talented running team known as the "Dream Team". You’ll often spot the team taking podium positions and participating in races such as Karkloof 100, Ultra Trail Drakensberg, UTCT and races headed up by KZN Trail Running. Contributions and donations also assist Dream Team athletes with kit, race entries, nutritional porridge, gear and travel expenses. The Dream Team inspires children and others through their own achievements in their sport and their lives.
If you can, please consider donating to the #FeedOneMillion campaign. We are looking for as many voices to share this story as possible. So please, share the link with your friends, families and loved ones. We're relying on the public to step in and help us make this a reality.
R1.30 = 1 meal.
https://lodestar.org.za/contribute/
I care deeply about the work the Foundation is doing and I feel immensely grateful for the opportunity to be working closely on such an important cause with an equally passionate team that is bending over backwards to get the message out far and wide.
You can follow our progress on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernLodestarFoundation/
And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernlodestar
Learn more about the Southern Lodestar Foundation via their website: https://lodestar.org.za/
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