Increasing food security and empowering youth
The Lavender Hill Sports and Recreation Foundation was initiated to get at-risk youth off the streets and keep them out of trouble and away from a life of gangsterism. In the Lavender Hill community, there is a high rate of unemployment and dependency on social grants. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic created a hunger crisis in the community, thus many food-insecure families rely on organisations like Lavender Hill Sports Recreation Foundation for something to eat.
As part of FoodForward SA’s beneficiary organisation (BO) network, the Lavender Hill Sports Recreation Foundation collects monthly food provisions from our Cape Town warehouse in Polaris Street, Lansdowne. They use these perishable and non-perishable food items as well as fresh produce to cook nutritious meals for the young people who take part in their bi-weekly soccer, netball and dance programmes.
Nutritious meals nourish the body and soul
Hearty, nutritious meals are served after training sessions, and these incentivise the youth to continue attending the programmes. What is more, the Foundation’s staff also ensure that the youth have a little “something extra for the pot” to take home for their families. In many instances, it is a small food parcel consisting of fresh produce which their families eagerly use when cooking pots of nourishing stew.
Food gardens as healing spaces
Lavender Hill Sports and Recreation Foundation has a food garden that serves the whole community. The “uncles and aunties” of the community work in the garden and in return, they reap the rewards of the harvest for their families. There are many challenges for the youth in this community – some are orphans living with grandparents and others have parents, but they are absent in their lives. The food garden thus also serves as a ‘healing space’ for community members from all walks of life – it is a beautiful, green space where they become involved in something positive and uplifting, that leads to them being able to put food on the table, especially for elderly family members.
Do you want to help strengthen the resilience of communities?
Donate to FoodForward SA and help organisations like Lavender Hill Sports and Recreation Foundation provide nutritious meals for vulnerable community members.
