This World Hunger Month, KFC Add Hope launches its first-ever TV advert to raise awareness about the difference a nutritious meal makes to the life of a child. This story, told by drawings of some of the 100 000 children the initiative feeds every day, brings to life the power a R2 Add Hope donation and the real impact it can have in alleviating hunger.

According to dietician Abby Courtenay, children in South Africa experience malnutrition from being over and underweight coupled with various vitamin and mineral deficiencies. “When a child doesn’t get the right nutrients, malnutrition can manifest both mentally and physically. Classic examples would be a decrease in concentration, memory and fatigue as well as delayed or stunted development of muscle and bones,” says Courtenay.

Educational psychologist Juliana Mendonça says that children often express themselves through their drawings, which can help psychologists interpret a child’s level of cognitive development and how they feel about themselves and the world around them. “Children make use of many cognitive processes such as visual memory, attention, scanning, strategic thinking and decision making whilst drawing.  They are able to engage with their imagination and essentially create a physical representation of what they have in mind. When a child doesn’t get the right nutrients and nourishment, the brain doesn’t develop as it should and neither do the gross motor skills, so you will see a drop in concentration ability and memory.  These are crucial in learning environments,” she says.

Add Hope’s first-ever TV advert is illustrated solely by over 1000 drawings created by 250 children from one of Add Hope’s national beneficiaries, Afrika Tikkun. It tells the story of an undernourished, sad and lonely little girl who is handed an Add Hope bowl – and how the simple act of receiving regular, nutritious meals changes her life and the way she sees the world around her, by helping her develop into a thriving, vibrant and hope-filled young child. With her tummy full and her future bright, she passes an Add Hope bowl onto another young child – showing how regular meals and proper nutrition can change a child’s life.

The Add Hope TV advert has been on screen from Tuesday, 6 October and will be supported by in-store information and a social media campaign called ‘Pledge Your Plate’. The campaign calls on South Africans to post a picture of their empty plate to their social media platforms, to help raise awareness of the 11-million South Africans who are affected by hunger each day. You can be part of this too by posting to the platform of your choice and tagging #PledgeYourPlate and #AddHope to add your voice to the campaign.

Add Hope runs year round on KFC menu boards and uses the power of a simple R2 donation to help make a difference in the lives of millions of hungry children in South Africa. The initiative has raised over R263-million in the fight against hunger during its six year history, and currently feeds more than 100 000 children across the country every day, helping them learn, grow and thrive.

Watch the advert here.

For more information, visit www.addhope.co.za.