Feeding 120 000 children requires a considerable amount of funding on an ongoing basis; money, which KFC raises through customer donations added at the till, or on the Add Hope website, as well as donating a percentage of profits as its own Corporate Social Responsibility contribution. In 2016, Add Hope raised R39-million, with every cent of customer R2 donations going towards feeding children. Over the past seven years, Add Hope has raised just over R387 million.
“Add Hope works because it’s a small donation that is quick to add,” says Thabisa Mkhwanazi, KFC Africa marketing director. “The R2 donations from customers, combined with our own contributions, all add up. We really appreciate these donations, which have grown each year, enabling Add Hope to keep increasing the amount of children we reach. We are passionate about the cause of hunger relief, and the more we can raise together, the more children we can help to learn, grow and thrive; and that means a more positive future for all of us.”
KFC has taken a partnership approach to ensure that every R2 donation reaches children in the most effective way, supporting sustainable feeding programmes at a growing list of 116 beneficiary organisations. The distribution of the funds is carefully administered by the KFC Social Responsibility Trust.
“We currently work with 12 larger, national beneficiaries, including JAM, Afrika Tikkun and SOS Children’s Villages, as well as 104 smaller organisations that are chosen by the teams at our restaurants so that they can have an impact in their local communities,” says Mkhwanazi. “The funds can only be used for feeding children from birth to 18, including on-site feeding and food parcels that are sent out to families. Beneficiaries including childhood development organisations, children’s homes and school feeding programmes are added every year.”
Mkhwanazi says that a challenge facing Add Hope is getting more customers to be aware that their full donation will go to filling children’s stomachs. “It’s so important for us to drive awareness of food security issues in South Africa, and to show people how their Add Hope donation really changes lives,” says Mkhwanazi. “We’re working hard to do that all year round, including our special campaigns for World Hunger Day on 28 May and World Hunger Month in October.”
Add Hope, born in South Africa, is now being adopted by KFC in other countries as part of parent company Yum! International’s focus on hunger relief. “We’re proud that we can use our iconic brand status to contribute to society, and tackle the world’s number one health risk - hunger. The success of Add Hope shows that if we all pull together, even the smallest contribution can have a major impact. Your R2 fills 120 000 children with hope.”
For more information, visit
www.addhope.co.za.