During the early stages of development, every child in South Africa deserves access to the nutrients required to grow, develop and reach their full potential. Protein-energy malnutrition is a major cause of stunted growth in South African children, and many families struggle to provide the bioavailable protein growing bodies need every day. Our work addresses both the meal on the plate and the knowledge behind it.
The first years of life are when good nutrition has the greatest lasting effect on a child’s growth, so that is where we direct our resources. We make life-changing nutrition accessible to the children who need it most through five pillars.
Through StartWell Foods (Pty) Ltd, we manufacture ready-to-eat meals in our own extrusion and fortification facility, with full control over recipes, ingredients, quality and food safety.
We run nutrition workshops for parents, caregivers and teachers, based on the WHO guidelines for complementary feeding of children aged 6 to 23 months, with a focus on animal-source protein.
Our meals are built around bioavailable protein and essential vitamins and minerals, and reach children every school day through crèches, ECD centres and our Village Feeding Projects.
We measure the height of most children in our programmes every month, capture the data digitally, and analyse it using PeopleRadar. This enables early detection of stunting and allows partners to see real results.
We speak up for policy and regulation that put the nutritional needs of young children first, including the standards for meals served in feeding programmes.
We cannot end stunting alone. We partner with organisations that support women of reproductive age, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, babies and young children, so the root causes of malnutrition are addressed at every stage of life. When real generosity and real needs connect, children grow.
Our twin-screw extrusion plant can feed up to 200 000 children a daily meal, and is GFSI Intermediate and Halaal certified.
Each child starts the day with a nutrient-dense StartWell breakfast.
The StartWell Foundation, a registered NPC, holds the majority shares in StartWell Foods, so the factory exists to serve children first.
The Atterbury Trust has supported 3 schools in various locations over the last year. We recently partnered with them on an extraordinary project. They’ve managed to secure donations from OUTsurance and WeBuyCars to support 2,000 children all over South Africa. The first couple
For almost 3 years, the Eden Village Project has been nourishing young minds in the Garden Route! We provide daily StartWell meals to 215 students in 5 schools, stretching from Touwsranten to Grootbrak. This project isn’t just about food – it’s about building
Together with the Zero2Five Trust and nutrition partners Willowton Group, Genesis Nutritional Products, Rise Against Hunger we highlighted the importance of providing nutritious meals to our local community on #InternationalSchoolMealsDay. It’s not just about breakfast but also about giving fortified porridges that are both
