Because this Mandela Day behind every empty plate is a story — and behind every meal, a chance to change it.

Recent data from South Africa’s latest household survey reveals a sobering truth: the poorest 30% of households in four provinces don’t have reliable access to food — and food insecurity is rising. In Knysna, we see it too. And we feel it. Families stretching meals. Soup kitchens running low. Children going to bed hungry.

But we also see something else: Community. Hope. And the power of people coming together.

This is our mission:

Part 1: Collect 6,700 food items for Knysna’s soup kitchens

Our annual Mandela Day Drive is back! In honour of Madiba’s legacy, we’re aiming to collect 6,700 non-perishable food items to stock Knysna’s local soup kitchens. These vital kitchens provide warm meals to vulnerable families year-round, and your help can make sure their shelves stay  and our children’s tummies stay full through every season.

Here’s how to be part of it:

• Drop your donations with our KILT team on 18 July at Knysna Mall (outside Woolworths)

• Between 9AM and 4PM

• We’ll take care of the packing and deliver the food directly to soup kitchens across Knysna

What to donate:

👉🏾 Samp & Beans

👉🏾 Lentils, Split Peas & Barley

👉🏾 Soup Mixes, Powders & Stock Cubes

👉🏾 Rice, Mealie Meal & Pap

👉🏾 Tinned Foods

Every item adds up to a meal. Every meal adds up to hope.

Part 2: Bags of Hope with Oakhill School

We were also proud to partner with Oakhill School for the second part of our Mandela Day mission. Led by the incredible crew from the school’s Interact Club, Oakhill children and their families collected dry goods to create Bags of Hope — grocery parcels designed to sustain a family of five with hearty meals.

These Bags of Hope went directly to the families of children from the community-based crèches supported by KILT’s partner organisation, KET, ensuring nourishment and care beyond the classroom.

To further deepen students’ understanding of the social issues affecting under-resourced communities, KILT will have a speaker from one of their programmes join Oakhill School at their Mandela Day assembly.

This collaboration reflects what Mandela Day is all about: Schools empowering one another, collective compassion, and local solutions that uplift our most vulnerable.

Together, we can turn 67 minutes into 356 days of hope. Whether you donate a can, a bag, or a full family pack — you’re helping fill homes with warmth and little tummies with food.

Let’s live Mandela’s legacy in real, tangible ways.