Makhanda Community Kitchens
How Rotary can feed thousands of women and children each month
POVERTY disproportionately affects rural households and female-headed families. Nearly two-thirds of the Black African population live below the poverty line. They cannot afford nutritious food.
UNEMPLOYMENT makes poverty worse. Low income translates to low-quality food. Social grants do not improve nutrition because the money is spent on other things.
FOOD INFLATION makes nutritious food unaffordable. In 2024, food inflation in South Africa was 12%. Families resort to cheaper, less nutritious foods. The result is malnutrition.
We know about the problems. All these
UNRELIABLE SOCIAL SERVICES. One-fifth of eligible children do not receive social grants due to documentation issues or lack of awareness.
SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS are rife with funding delays and procurement issues. Many children go to school hoping for a midday meal, only to be told the food didn’t come in today.
ALCOHOLISM AND HIV disproportionately affect poor families, robbing children’s ability to secure at least one adequate meal a day.
add up to food poverty.
What are people doing about it?
Makhanda’s
Women Warriors
They are under-recognized, under-funded, and overworked. This is their response.
The kitchens are already doing this for themselves.
If you have never met a Women Warrior before, visit a South African community kitchen.
Many women cook over a smoky wood fire because they cannot afford bottled propane. They stir with a stick because it is the cheapest spoon.
A child’s future is bleak enough as it is. Hunger should not be part of it.
They bring out the food and this is what greets them.
Ladling out a fair portion for so many different stomachs is a challenging call.
In most of South Africa, a braai (barbecue) is steaks and chops. In a township kitchen, it is vetkoek, chunks of bread toasted over coals.
0% sugar, 0% MSG, 0% additives, 100% nutrition.
Township Take-Out on days when it rains.
If they are doing this now: Imagine how they can do it better.
During COVID
Makhanda’s
communty kitchens received R3 Million in donations and served half a million meals.
GRA 1 Asakhe 7174 7242 14416 3x / week
GRA 3 Lindiswa 944 2211 3155 2x / week
GRA 7 Dianne 6210 4716 10926 2x / week
GRA 8 Thabisa 1232 1647 2879 3x / week
GRA11 Lulama 2556 3224 5780 1x / week
2023 was a banner year: In 2024 COVID funding vanished.
GRA15 Alerise 3175 672 3847 1x / week
GRA16 Avis 3833 5191 9024 1x / week
GRA20 Mzukisi 1517 1728 3245 1x / week
Vukani Doris 2333 1240 3573 1x/ week
SanN28 Des 1619 1989 3608 2x / week
SanN29 Shiela 515 1031 1546 2x / week
MCF30 Phindile 1192 1524 2716 2x / week
What can we do for them 2025–26?
THE KITCHENS’ MOST PRESSING NEEDS:
HOW DO WE CREATE A PROVISIONS PLAN?
• Adequate dry stores* that can be cooked into a wide variety of dishes (“Nutritional Unit”)
• Propane gas cylinders to cook with (on average 1 to 2 cylinder refills / month @ R310)
• Lockable metal box to protect food from rodents
• Occasional large-sized cooking pots and kitchen utensils as kitchens scale up their output in response to local needs
1. Use a system-wide “Food Unit”; everyone gets the same.
2. Identify the PARTICIPATING KITCHENS
• They have a track record of regular service
• They are run by well-known leaders
• They keep accurate records
3. The PROVISIONER (“Legends,” managed by Ian Doyle) is a wholesale food supplier serving regional restaurants and school kitchens.
* This funding request is limited to non-perishable dry stores and cooking oil only. Vegetables, milk, and other perishables are best provided and funded locally by each kitchen according to its standard recipes.
4. The “Food Unit” would be distributed on a biweekly or monthly basis directly from Legends to the kitchens.
5. No cash transfers; only Food Units and services.
Each month Makanda Community Kitchens (MCK) supplies one to two of these Basic Food Units to each kitchen. We pay Legends for each Food Unit. Legends assembles and deliver directly to the kitchens. No cash payment to kitchens.
Each kitchen keeps a log of how many adults and children are served on each feeding day.
One-Year Timeline
DISTRICT KITCHEN
GRA 1 Asakhe Faxa-Given
GRA 3 Lindiswa
GRA 7 Dianne Oösthuizen
GRA 8 Thabisa
GRA11 Lulama
GRA13 Marilyn
GRA14 Betty
GRA15 Alerise
GRA16 Avis Prince
GRA20 Mzukisi
SanN28 Desirée Sphere
SanN29 Shiela Botha
MCF30 Phindile
• Each participating kitchen receives one or two Food Units per month, delivered by Legends.
• During first two months limit service to one Food Unit delivered every two weeks to the five currently active kitchens.
• Aim for 13 kitchens serving 2 meals per week to 100–150 people.
• New kitchens join via community word of mouth; Rotary does not actively recruit.
FLOW PATH FROM FINANCE TO KITCHEN INCOME PROVIDERS BANK KITCHENS
RECORD KEEPING
Bank pays Legends
two NU / month
• Local Rotary
• Rotary Int’l
• Local donors
• Crowdfunding
TBD
@ R3000 per kitchen, plus R 310 / mo. to MaxiGas = R6310.
Total cash flow x 13 kitchens
R82,030 / $4557 per month
13 kitchens serve 2 meals / week to 100–150 people
Individual kitchen handwritten daily logs. Biweekly logs recorded by Makanda Community Kitchens. Monthly totals submitted to Rotary & accountant.
How we tell the world
“MAKHANDA’S WOMEN WARRIORS”
• Recruit volunteers from preps & RU
• Substack biweekly blog
• Facebook updates
• Instagram updates
• Press releases to Grocotts & Sue Powers
“MAKHANDA’S
GOT MUSIC” CONCERT
Venue: Cathedral Ticket price: R100 / donation
• Garreth Robertson organises RUMD performers
• Duncan Samson presents local chamber groups
• Garreth Walwyn presents Township musicians
• Peter Black organises organ & choral music
At the end of the year, will all the work be worth it?
ASK HER