Achievements to date

  • In 2006, the SCDP provided one meal daily to 568 underweight children. At the start of 2012, this number stands at 1600, plus approximately 750 children at 25 crèches, many of whom have some form of malnutrition. Of these children, currently 78 children are critically stunted and wasted, and receive breakfast (Morvite, fortified cereal, with full-cream milk) in addition to the above meal. The schools and the parents of children who benefit from our nutritional programme are of the opinion that this programme is essential to the lives, learning and growth of these children.
  • We run nutritional programmes at two primary schools and 25 crèches in Kayamandi.
  • 100 families are receiving monthly food parcels as a supportive intervention both for their family’s nutrition as well as to assist them in improving their lives.
  • We provide fresh vegetables and milk (2 sachets per week) to those receiving food parcels.
  • Our Craft Club, Siyazama, started in 2007, has trained 200 women to become crafters and to earn much-needed income for their families through skills acquired through this club. Marietjie Botha, lecturer at the Faculty of Theology, University of Stellenbosch, is the leading light of this project and the SCDP’s Craft Club Coordinator.
  • Our two health-care workers visit 100 homes on a cycle of three months to monitor the results of our school-feeding programme, food parcels and home vegetable garden project.
  • We arrange contraception workshops every Thursday for teenage students.
  • We run training workshops for teachers and vendors on weight loss, healthy nutrition, the Food Basic Dietary Guidelines (FBDG), diabetes and hypertension.
  • We run two 45 minute gym classes weekly for our mothers.
  • The SCDP is affiliated with several after-school care programmes such as the International Students Organisation (ISOS), Stellenbosch and students are involved in sport, cultural activities and school outings. The OT students are involved in improving childhood development, monitoring, evaluation and interventions concerning problem cases. The Macias Restis Family Trust funds after-school care programmes.
  • We give employment to eight individuals of whom five are on a full-time basis. Our team consists of a manager/dietician,  two health-care workers and two kitchen workers. Two vegetable garden managers are employed two days per week. Two consultants provide professional ad hoc business-coaching and other services.
  • Our Manager, Jacques Treadway, a dietician who holds a four-year degree, BSc Hons. (Dietetics), from the University of the Western Cape, together with our two health care workers, conduct comprehensive nutritional surveys twice annually.
  • A range of volunteers assist part-time to give educational talks to youngsters on nutrition and life skills, run literacy programmes, and excercise programmes.
  • We hold Proud Parents support groups every month aimed at imparting parenting skills, contraception advice and support to the attendees.
  • The SCDP is on a sound business footing. Our management and our staff generate brief strategic and operational plans and are expected to accept full responsibility and proper accountability for their work terrains. The plans are visible on a whiteboard for weekly and daily use and for monthly review and fresh planning.