First established in 2010, the programme operates within 62 schools across seven provinces, serving breakfast to 40,000 learners daily. In addition, The Tiger Brands Foundation has installed kitchens across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, and recently Limpopo - creating a more hygienic and efficient system to prepare the meals for the learners.
"Tiger Brands Limited allocates 5% of its dividends to The Foundation. The Foundation is now one of the main channels through which Tiger Brands Ltd invests in our communities. The main focus of The Foundation is to improve the lives of learners attending non-fee-paying schools through an in-school breakfast feeding programme," said Chairperson of the Tiger Brands Foundation, Dr Miriam Altman.
"Studies conducted by The Centre for Social Development in Africa (CSDA) at the University of Johannesburg conclude that students who eat school breakfast increase their math and reading scores as well as improve their speed and memory in cognitive tests. The research also concluded that children who eat breakfast at school - closer to class and test-taking time - perform better on standardised tests than those who skip breakfast or eat breakfast at home," she added.
As a supporting effort to the school environment, school nutrition plays a significant role in improving the health of learners. The National School Nutrition Programme ensures that participating learners receive foods that are based on nutritional standards, limits certain nutrients for sale, and provides nutrition materials and professional growth opportunities to school nutrition staff.
"Serving the 20 millionth meal is one of the highlights of the firm partnership that The Foundation has developed with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) through their National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). We have demonstrated that working together we can do more to improve education and take this country forward. We warmly thank our Tiger Brands for making education a societal issue. The business sector is an important stakeholder both in terms of its corporate social investment and its interest in achieving a more educated workforce. We expect others to follow suit," said Basic Education Minister, Mrs Angie Motshekga.
