Buckets of hope — Daily Maverick and SA Harvest combat child malnutrition this festive season

Nurses ululated and sang with joy in the paediatric ward of the Victoria Maxenge Hospital in Durban as SA Harvest teams brought two trolleys full of buckets of nutrition to be handed over to the mothers in the ward. 

In the last drop-off before Christmas for the Daily Maverick/SA Harvest Buckets of Nutrition campaign, buckets were distributed in Durban on Friday. The project has so far raised more than R900,000, and any buckets left over will be distributed early in the new year.

Fifty buckets will also be kept to be distributed to children with Type 1 diabetes when they return from treatment in hospital early in 2025.

The Victoria Maxenge Hospital’s hallways turned black and yellow as the SA Harvest team walked up and down the halls bearing gifts of nutrition on Friday. Food rescue organisation SA Harvest and Daily Maverick partnered to create 20-liter buckets filled with essentials such as beans, soups, samp, canned protein, instant porridge and more, along with blankets and a 5kg bag of maize meal on the side. 

SA Harvest teams use technology to help them collect, keep track of and ensure the assistance reaches the right hands, with a data collection app.

Nomsa Nombiba, a project manager at SA Harvest, came to Durban from her usual post in the Eastern Cape to help the Durban team with the Daily Maverick and SA Harvest nutritious buckets’ packing and handover.

She says most mothers she interviewed were unemployed, and although some of them were not in a position to talk, some shared their joy and relief. 

“A lady said she lives with three family members, none of them work or receive a grant, so the bucket will go a long way in assisting them this December, and she will apply for the child grant after they leave the hospital,” said Nombiba. 

The team aimed to share 200 buckets. On Friday they also dropped off 50 buckets at Albert Luthuli hospital in the paediatric and oncology wards.

Another 50 buckets went to Choc (childhood cancer foundation) in Durban,  a house for children battling cancer who receive their chemo and other health services in this centre.

Lastly, 100 buckets were distributed at Victoria Maxenge Hospital in the paediatric, orthopaedic, diabetes and premature babies wards.

At Victoria Maxenge Hospital one of the beneficiaries was a 20-year-old mother from Lamontville township with an 11-month-old child who was vomiting and severely dehydrated.

When asked what she would find most useful she said: “Everything in the bucket, instant porridge, noodles, and all the isishebo (Zulu word for protein or vegetables,  anything paired with starch). They really helped us, we were not expecting this at all. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about where I will find food, this will last until January, especially since I live alone,” she said. 

Nombiba said: “I’m happy people will have food so they can take their medicine, even for the new mothers, they need something in their tummies because they are breastfeeding. Most don’t have the grant yet and it takes a bit of time to kick in.”

She added that almost all the mothers were young, with most born after 2004. 

“The youngest I recorded was born in 2006,” she said.

Nombiba added that most came from homes with no income, and said this was a reflection of South Africa’s persistently high rates of hunger and malnutrition among mothers and children. Resulting in more than a quarter — 27% — of children under five being stunted and 61% of children being iron deficient. 

A mother and daughter duo also came to volunteer to spread kindness and cheer this festive season. 

Kendra Heinleigh, 18, wants to be a nurse when she is older and has lent a hand whenever she can to SA Harvest. She has now roped in her mother, Janet, 48, who is a teacher. 

“I’m a teacher so you have to have compassion, and I love babies, so when Kendra said they were going to the hospital to help children and mothers, I had to be here. It is a time to be thankful and give, SA Harvest does really great work, and I’m so happy we get to help,” she said. 

How to donate

• Bank: FNB


• Account number: 62693490478


• Branch code: 255955


• Branch name: Randpark Ridge