Nutrition for Little Minds | A HERD Community Initiative – Get Involved!

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, 1 in 3 children in South Africa suffered from malnutrition. That number has grown since the pandemic.

During early childhood, some of the most critical physical and cognitive development takes place, often charting the course for the rest of the individual’s development.

Our partnership with a nearby school in Hoedspruit, called Mpisi School, where our own nursery elephant carer, Khensani attended in her junior years, is growing fruitfully! We started with elephant art projects, getting the students involved in fun elephant-related activities to share awareness around the species, and our next phase is looking at nutrition in different ways.

Many of the children at Mpisi will have their only meal of the day at school, coming from impoverished homes where parents can’t always provide adequately for their families.

Before we can look at anything else, whether physical or education activities, getting the kids involved in gardening and coming to experience the wilderness at our reserve for themselves, we have to tackle the most vital issue, which is ensuring healthy, well-fuelled minds and bodies.

You can help us to provide for the school’s students!

We are excited to be working with the Nkosi Superbar initiative, distributed by Wellspring NPO, a non-profit drive to help businesses and communities take a stand against child malnutrition, and are helping to fundraise to provide the children at Mpisi School with a consistent supply of Nkosi bars. These bars are packed with essential nutrition – just take a look here >

We are incredibly glad for the amazing leadership provided at Mpisi School by Principle Clever and his fleet of amazing teachers helping to teach and inspire these young minds, who are thrilled at this new initiative and always looking for ways to provide their students with the best start to life, in spite of the difficult circumstances that many come from.

With the huge cost involved in providing these Superbars throughout the year, we are starting with the students in Grade R, benefitting 160 pupils under the age of six years.

What our School Community Project Needs:

• Data Analysis For Kids
• Two Trips To Mpisi School
• Scout Badges For 50 Children
• Nkosi Bars For 150 Children For One Month Includes Courier
• Scale & Measuring Tape
• Vegetable Seeds
• Fruit Trees
• Top Soil
• Scouts Training Staff – Four Staff Members
• Colourful Paint – For Vegetable Garden
• Scout Mantle For 50 Children

DONATE HERE >

Little bodies need a lot of help during their critical development stages and your kindness can make a life-long difference for children in your area.

The Nkosi supplementary bar contains essential macro nutrients crucial for the development of children under the age of 6, and will be provided to Mpisi School on a monthly basis. The pupils will be weighed before the programme is started to establish a base line to determine the effectiveness of the bar going forward.

Malnutrition is causing the irreversible loss of physical and cognitive ability among our children and is a leading cause of death among children in South Africa. Food programmes are under strain and in need of creative and sustainable interventions.

In addition to our work with Mpisi School, we are collaborating with the principle and teachers to facilitate a Scouts Programme with students, as well as vegetable gardens to grow more nutritious food on site, to add to the pupils’ lunches made on the grounds of the school by willing mothers. Through Scouts, we will introduce extra curricular activities at the school that will assist in mental and personal development. The success of these projects has the potential to chart the course for numerous little minds and bodies.

DONATE HERE >