A hungry child cannot focus in class, and a hungry adult cannot work productively. For some of our learners, school meals may be the only substantial food they eat all day. With a high unemployment rate, most families rely on wage remittance or government grants, limiting their ability to afford varied and nutritious food. This issue is exacerbated by our remote location, essentially a food desert, where the nearest shops are far away.
Each day, we serve 900 hot-cooked meals to ensure that all of our preschoolers and BC learners receive two cooked meals and that every staff member has a nutritious lunch. Our meals are carefully prepared to provide a balanced diet, introducing a variety of carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables — in contrast to the starch-rich meals common in our community due to limited cooking methods and ingredient availability.
An integral part of our meal programme includes using vegetables grown in our gardens. This provides fresh, nutritious ingredients while modelling why growing varied vegetables is important. This aspect is a step towards sustainability and self-sufficiency, showing our community that healthy meals can be prepared at home, even in a resource-limited setting.
By ensuring daily access to nutritious food, we invest in the health, education, and overall well-being of our learners and staff. This commitment is a fundamental part of our mission at Bulungula Incubator, which is to create a nurturing environment where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.
