Cape Town Group Serves 2 Billion Meals to Hungry Kids

Petrina Pakoe knows what hunger feels like in a classroom because she lived it herself as a child.

Today, she leads the Peninsula School Feeding Association, the organization that once fed her and has now served two billion nutritious meals to South African children over 67 years. The PSFA feeds 30,000 students daily across nearly 400 schools in the Western Cape, providing hot breakfasts and lunches that many children count on as their only meals of the day.

The story began in 1958 when the Rotary Club of Paarden Eiland noticed something troubling. School feeding programs were disappearing just as children needed them most.

They called a public meeting, and on March 10th of that year, the Peninsula School Feeding Association was born. The mission was simple: make sure no child tries to learn on an empty stomach.

The need remains urgent. One in four South African households goes to bed hungry, according to PSFA data.

For children, the stakes are even higher. The first 1,000 days of a child's life are critical for development, and lack of proper nutrition can lead to acute malnutrition and lifelong consequences.

The PSFA serves more than just food. Every meal is dietitian approved, balanced with the right mix of protein, vitamins, minerals and starch. The organization delivers dry ingredients monthly and fresh produce weekly to schools, and has installed 135 ready-to-use kitchens complete with gas stoves and cooking equipment.

Teachers can spot the children who need help. They're the ones who can't concentrate in class, who sometimes faint at their desks. The PSFA works specifically with schools that don't qualify for government nutrition programs, reaching students who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

"This is not a job, this is a calling. This is a passion for me," Pakoe told a group of visiting American student entrepreneurs during their recent tour of the Philippi facility.

The Ripple Effect

The meals do more than fill stomachs. School attendance rises when children know breakfast and lunch await them. Learning improves when hunger pains don't distract from lessons.

The organization also works to break the stigma around receiving free meals. Every child deserves to eat without shame, and the PSFA treats dignity as seriously as nutrition.

For Pakoe, leading this work feels like coming full circle. The little girl who once needed these meals now ensures 30,000 others receive them every single day.

"Everyone should have the right to eat, but not everyone has access to it," she said.

In 67 years, two billion meals have proven that access can be created, one plate at a time.