“Turning hunger into play” is the key message of the partnership between the Kolisi Foundation and the R2 KFC Add Hope donation, which will benefit local learners from the Zwide area this July.
Springbok Rugby captain, Siya Kolisi, who started the Foundation with his wife Rachel, often depended on the one meal a day he received at school, which gave him enough energy to train with the Bombers Rugby Club in Zwide.
“Now we want to do the same for today’s hungry children,” says Rachel. “Millions of R2 Add Hope donations have been changing children’s lives since 2009, and we’re excited to play our part during July with the support of KFC and its customers.”
‘Indlala’ is an Nguni term meaning hunger, something rugby star and Kolisi Foundation co-founder Siya Kolisi unfortunately knew all too well when he was growing up in the township of Zwide. But place a R2 KFC Add Hope donation over the first two letters of the word and it becomes ‘dlala’, or play, a transformation that speaks to the impact this childhood hunger initiative has had over the past 15 years.
This July, in a partnership between the Kolisi Foundation and Add Hope, every R2 donated by KFC customers will go directly to the foundation – and it will be matched by KFC. A television commercial supporting the campaign features Siya singing igwijo (a song) and being joined by young Add Hope beneficiaries.
“When Siya and I set up the foundation in 2020, the areas we wanted to focus on included food security, education, and sport, as well as gender-based violence,” says Rachel, CEO of the Kolisi Foundation. “These are all areas where KFC does incredible work, so we’re delighted to partner with Add Hope in relieving the hunger and malnutrition that affects nearly one in four South African households.”
The Kolisi Foundation will use the funds received from the Add Hope campaign to bolster its efforts to ensure food security and promote education through nutrition. Specifically, the proceeds will support the six Siyaphakama schools in Zwide by providing breakfasts for about 4,000 children. The foundation will also offer nutritious meals to children who attend the after-school sports program, further reinforcing its commitment to nurturing their potential and well-being.
“I find it deeply moving when Siya speaks about his early years in Zwide,” says Grant Macpherson, KFC Africa Chief Marketing Officer. “The work that he and Rachel do through their foundation is a perfect fit with Add Hope as we move through a cold and dark winter.”
Grant says the transformation from ‘indlala’ to ‘dlala’ – turning hunger into play – is not a gimmick. “Add Hope’s new impact assessment, in partnership with Dr. Tracey Toefy of GIBS, has proved again that the nutritious meals the program provides are vital for children’s development. Without them, it’s impossible for children to achieve their full potential.”
The Kolisi Foundation’s work with children includes supplying breakfasts to six primary schools in the Siyaphakama Zwide Schools Project. The project aims to develop healthy, active, emotionally and academically strong children, often starting with adequate nutrition. The foundation also offers an after-school program in sports such as rugby, soccer, netball, and athletics, and operates a Siyaphakama Zwide school league. The foundation ensures that each child receives at least one hour of physical education a week, and it supports schools with health assessments for learners and educators, emphasizing the importance of holistic well-being in educational success.
The foundation also supports 35 community kitchens; distributes grocery parcels to households facing food insecurity, gender-based violence shelters, and containment centers; and is establishing food gardens at partner organizations, community kitchens, and schools.
