Hungry children in our midst

Residents will be surprised to learn that 590 learners are fed by the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) every school day at Observatory Junior School and Mary Kihn School for the blind in Observatory. Andy du Plessis, the director of the PSFA, said: "Only 40 Percent of these learners reside in Observatory and the surrounding areas." The feeding scheme comprises of two meals per day, breakfast three times per week and lunch five times per week.

PSFA feeds 326 600 children in the Western Cape. The department of education's subsidy feeds 295 000 children and the 31 600 children are fed from funds which have to be raised.
PSFA was first based in Loop Street Cape Town before relocating to Trill Road in Observatory in 1990. Andy du Plessis, said that they relocated here due to the parking and traffic congestion being an obstacle in Town. “We have found that Observatory is a convenient location to conduct business, as it is very central, without the traffic problems related to going into Cape Town. It is convenient for our donors, partners, and stakeholders to meet,” said Andy.

PSFA have been in operation since 1958, and survived solely from public donations until President Nelson Mandela started the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in 1994.

PSFA serves the children in the schools in this community by providing nutritious meals. Andy du Plessis says: “Our presence in Obs softens the look and feel, along with other NPO's in the vicinity”.

The PSFA has five field workers who check up on the schools to see whether they are being fed the proper meals on each day and whether they are being fed on time. The children are fed different meals each day starting with, rice and lentil breyani with vegetables, samp and beans with fresh fruit, rice and soya mince with vegetables, rice and pilchards with vegetables and on a Friday, samp and soya mince with vegetables.

Dry products are delivered three times a term to the schools for their preparation. These schools recruit unemployed parents or volunteers are sent to help prepare the food for the children.

Obs residents can get involved by volunteering to cook at either Obs Junior or Mary Kihn School, or if unable to do so, you can adopt a child for a year, make a monthly donation, or you can adopt a school. Donations can be made online, www.psfa.org.za.

The offices in Observatory comprises of nine employees who form part of the admin staff. The double storey house which was converted into offices was bought by the PSFA when they moved from the CBD. Stephanie Le Mesurier PR and security of PSFA said: "We will remain here until...well a sad fact...there's no more hungry children to feed."