R10,000 Raised! Celebrating the success of KILT’s Mandela Day Knysna Food Drive 2026

This July, the Knysna Initiative for Learning and Teaching teamed up with Food Lover’s Market Knysna for our annual Mandela Day Food Drive, which ran from 18 July through to the end of the month.

Our goal was simple yet essential: ensuring that children and vulnerable families across Knysna have access to warm, nourishing meals especially during the winter school holidays when daily school feeding programmes are closed. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our local community and innovative donors, the drive was a resounding success – raising R10,000 worth of essential groceries and protein vouchers!

How you made a big difference

Every tin, packet, and voucher donated went straight towards filling hundreds of hungry tummies in our area. Here is a snapshot of what your kindness accomplished:

• 39 kg of high-protein legumes and soup Mixes: Over 73 individual packages of lentils, split peas, red speckled beans, and 4-in-1 soup mixes – providing the vital building blocks for thick, nutrient-rich stews.
• 114 kg of wholesome staples: Bulk supplies of maize meal (60 kg) and long-grain rice (54 kg), alongside pasta, oats, and canned meats.
• 2 local soup kitchens supported: Directly nourishing Molosi Welfare Kitchen in Bongani Location and Hope to the Hopeless in Damsebos.

Halfway through the campaign, we had already collected enough to make a meaningful contribution to our beneficiary soup kitchens, who were stepping up to feed local children during the winter school holidays when daily school meals are unavailable. Seeing the collection trolleys overflow was a heartfelt sign of Knysna’s spirit of Ubuntu.

The Trolley Dash Challenge

One of the standout highlights of this year’s Mandela Day drive was our inaugural Trolley Dash Challenge, where local champions stepped up to race through the aisles for a cause!

A massive thank you to the incredible local businesses who filled their trolleys with high-need staples:

• Simon Harris from Hamilton’s Property Portfolio (Garden Route)
• Ana Salgado & Chris van der Merwe from RE/MAX Coastal

Their high-energy participation brought fun, competition, and vital nourishment to our collection bins.

Calling all Knysna businesses! We want you on the starting line next Mandela Day. Will your team take on the Trolley Dash Challenge in 2027? Get in touch with KILT to secure your trolley! Need inspiration? Take a look at our Instagram and Facebook pages to see each Trolley Dash in action.

Protein vouchers for balanced meals

While dry goods like maize, rice, and lentils form the foundation of hearty meals, soup kitchens often struggle to source fresh protein.

This year, innovative donors stepped in with R1,000 worth of Food Lover’s Market gift vouchers. These vouchers will allow Molosi Welfare Kitchen and Hope to the Hopeless to purchase fresh meat and chicken to supplement the dry goods donations – ensuring the meals served are balanced, nutrient-dense and deeply satisfying.

Heartfelt thanks to our partners and community

An initiative of this scale is only possible through strong partnerships and a caring community:

• Food Lover’s Market Knysna: A massive thank you to the management and staff for generously hosting our collection point, guiding shoppers, and making the donation process effortless.
• Our community: To everyone who bought an extra tin of pilchards, dropped a bag of mealie meal into the trolley, or shared our posts online – thank you for turning 67 minutes of service into lasting community care.
• Media coverage: A heartfelt thank you to the Knysna-Plett Herald for their enthusiastic coverage of our campaign launch, helping us spread the word and inspire our local community to get involved.

Keep the momentum going

While Mandela Day comes once a year, the need for hunger relief is ongoing. KILT remains dedicated to supporting education and child welfare in Knysna from the ground up – because a child cannot learn on an empty stomach.

Partner with us: Contact KILT today to find out how your business can participate in future community drives!