In South Africa, 27% of children — about 1.7 million — are stunted due to malnutrition, a crisis that robs them of their ability to learn and thrive. For these children, hunger makes education an uphill battle.
It’s for this reason that The Love Trust and Soul Food, two faith-based non-profit organisations, have renewed their partnership to ensure young learners have both the nutrition and the education they need to break the cycle of poverty.
Feeding both body and mind
This collaboration began in 2019 and was strengthened after Mandela Day 2025, when Soul Food pledged to provide breakfast meals indefinitely to The Love Trust’s Nokuphila School in Thembisa. The renewed commitment underscores a simple truth: children cannot learn if they are hungry.
Soul Food delivers between 1.5 and 1.7 million meals every month, feeding over 70,000 children daily across more than 1,000 centres nationwide.
“We have always believed that proper nutrition is a human right,” says Thabo Maluleke, Chief Operating Officer at Soul Food. “By focusing on children between 0 and 10 years old, we are targeting the crucial window where we can make the biggest difference.”
At the centre of their programme is the POWA Pack, a sorghum-based porridge rich in protein and energy. A single 1kg bag provides 25 balanced meals and can be prepared as porridge or a shake. For lunch, the POWA Loda, a soy-based product with rice and spices, offers children a hearty and nutritious option. Both were developed through extensive research and collaboration with leading academic and industry partners.
In addition, Soul Food rescues surplus consumable food from farms and retailers like Woolworths and Checkers, ensuring that safe, quality food reaches children instead of going to waste.
A partnership that amplifies impact
For The Love Trust, which operates the Nokuphila School and a large teacher training programme, the partnership goes far beyond providing meals.
“With children nourished, we can redirect our resources towards tools for STEM education and safe learner transport,” says a representative from The Love Trust. “This partnership allows us to multiply the impact we make in the classroom.”
Maluleke adds: “Our partnership with The Love Trust is a no-brainer. They give children the gift of education, and we ensure they are nourished enough to learn. Together, we are building real futures.”
Research, innovation and the road ahead
Looking forward, Soul Food is investing in innovation to strengthen child nutrition from the earliest stages of life. The upcoming POWA Baby meal, currently in development, is designed for infants aged six months to two years. Another project, NUTRI TRACK, will enable real-time monitoring of children’s health and nutrition to improve outcomes nationwide.
The goal is clear: to raise a generation of young South Africans whose hunger to learn is matched with the food and care they need to succeed.
Maluleke concludes: “If we can keep a child in school, learning with energy and dignity, then we have done more than feed them — we have invested in South Africa’s future.”
Quick Stats: Soul Food’s Impact in 2025
Nutrition & Development
Learn more: soulfood.africa
Caption: Learners at Nokuphila School enjoying a Soul Food meal.
