South Africa’s poultry producers have once again been prominent donors of chicken meat for the annual challenge to produce 67 000 litres of soup to feed poor people on Mandela Day.
Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated across the world on 18 July in honour of South Africa’s first democratic president. In South Africa, much of the commemoration is around the number 67, linked to the number of years Mandela spent fighting for justice, equality and human rights. People are urged to spend 67 minutes in tasks or projects that benefit others.
For the past three years, the non-governmental organisation Chefs with Compassion has challenged professional and home-based cooks to make soup for the poor, aiming at a total of 67 000 litres. Restaurants, hotels, communities and individuals rally to the cause.
Participants donate anything from one litre to 12 000 litres. They select their own beneficiaries and contribute their final volume to the total challenge of soup cooked.
Every year the chefs have had sizeable contributions of meat and eggs from poultry producers. This year Astral Foods, Rainbow Chicken and Country Bird Holdings each pledged R67 000 worth of chicken, and Quantum Foods pledged 67 x 20 dozen eggs (that’s over 16 000 altogether).
Chefs with Compassion has a year-round focus on preventing food waste and hunger. They estimate that 10 million tons of food goes to waste in South Africa alone. The organisation, a collaboration of individuals, companies and organisations, rescues surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and donate it to kitchens where it is cooked to feed hungry people in vulnerable areas.
Image: courtesy of Chefs with Compassion
