Thanks to the collective generosity of Dr DA Jackson, Shahla Barghi-Parsons, Mrs P Douglas, the St Lawrence Church, Bradfield, Noreen Magorrian, Professor Jane Hutton, Underwater Surveys (Pty) Ltd, the MAID Charity Foundation and Malkoppi Creative Development (Pty) Ltd, Portland Primary School in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town now boasts a 12-metre converted shipping container kitchen and dining room, with roof.
The principal, Eleanor Braaf explained that she started at the school in January 2012 and her first priority was to improve the school’s academics, but she quickly realised that if the children were hungry, they were not going to be able to learn. The school was already on the National SchoolNutrition Support Programme, but it was when she hired Florance Croy, the cook, that their kitchen really began to work.
Next on the principal’s list was a proper kitchen and dining area. Florance was using an old storeroom and they had built a temporary covered dining area using zinc sheeting, but it wasn’t ideal – the roof leaked when it rained and the storeroom space was needed by the school. Ms Braaf approachedBreadline Africa for assistance and on 3 February 2022, she received the keys to 12-metre converted shipping container kitchen and undercover dining room, able to accommodate all of the children on the feeding programme.
The school’s cook, Florance Croy is delighted with her new space – she has added a few homey touches: café curtains at the windows and lace cloths on some of the countertops, along with vegetable baskets and racks for the plates, bowls and cups.
Officially, there are 130 children on the feeding programme, but the need seems to grow every day and there are always extra hungry mouths to feed. Florance doesn’t turn anyone away and makes a plan to feed the additional hungry children.
“Cooking for the children brings me joy,” she beamed and thanks to Breadline Africa’s generous donors, Florance will be serving up nutritious meals for many years to come!
