How to enter For online entries click here. Entry forms can also be collected at PSFA’s offices situated at 26 Purdey Road, Sheffield Business Park in Philippi, the Top Events offices situated at 6 Koeberg Road, Maitland or at selective Pick n Pay and Sportsmans Warehouse stores in the greater Cape Town area. The closing date for group entries is July 29, manual entries August 5 and online entries August 19. Together we must defeat hunger because you can’t teach a hungry child. ]]>

Heathfield Primary, with a daily breakfast and lunch while at school for two years! Nancy, her family and a couple of friends are currently visiting Cape Town and we took them to Heathfield Primary today to experience our feeding programme in action – a great time was had by all – a big thank you to Mrs Merle Janssen, the acting principal and Mrs Africa, our volunteer food preparer for all their assistance.

Nancy found out about PSFA during 2010 while as a student writing her master thesis on the “Impact of sustainable development principles on the food service and hospitality sector in Cape Town. During this time, she met Andy du Plessis, the director of PSFA at the time and included PSFA in her thesis. She promised Andy that she would raise funds for PSFA. She kept to her promise and eight years later she managed to raise and donate R54 000. [caption id="attachment_7245" align="alignleft" width="800"] Nancy Mueller with Mrs Africa, our volunteer food preparer at Heathfield Primary on her right[/caption]

pap and soy. For fifty years an important aspect of school feeding was being overlooked: the timing of school feeding. It is imperative that a child is fed before 10:00. Megan Pentz-Kluyts, registered dietetics consultant of Cape Town explains: ‘The rate of glucose metabolism in children’s brains increases from birth until 4 years of age, reaching twice that of the adults’ metabolic rate, and remains elevated until 9 – 10 years of age.[i] Regular meals to ensure a continuous glucose supply to the brain are therefore more important in children than in adults. Children who are food insecure and/or undernourished were found to have poorer cognitive functioning when they miss breakfast.[ii] In addition, they have a high prevalence of behavioural, emotional, and academic problems, and are more likely to repeat a grade.’[iii] In order to include a practical and nutritious morning meal to the PSFA menu, a mealie meal porridge was tested at ten schools in 2008. Initially, only one 10kg bag was used to test cooking time and the number of servings, but the response was so overwhelming that children came back for second helpings. Preparers now prepare an instant flavoured ready-mix porridge to serve before school starts. Flavours include banana, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. The Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) menu is different from the NSNP ‘government’ menu in terms of portion size only. The NSNP schools are schools receiving their meals as part of the Western Cape government-PSFA tender, while PSFA feeds schools that fall outside the parameters of the government’s tender. ‘PSFA schools’ are fed slightly larger portions of starch and protein, but receive the same number of fruit – twice a week, the same as ‘government schools’. Fruit was only formally introduced into the menu in 2009. Obviously, the available budget limits the menu but given an unlimited budget a leading nutritionist would want to see a variety of in-season fruit, full cream milk served every day and better quality protein to improve the nutrition of the current menu. Apart from relieving short-term hunger, providing food at school has additional benefits. Research by the Department of Education under the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) has shown that school meals improve punctuality, school attendance, concentration as well as the general wellbeing of participating learners. A dietetic survey done by the Nutrition and Dietetics Unit of the Department of Medicine of the University of Cape Town (UCT) at Bridgetown Primary in 1997 confirms this. It was found that school feeding can alleviate short-term hunger and has a positive effect on learning capabilities as well as improving physical activity. This prove that school feeding, through decades of changes in politics and ingredients, is still a vital element in the successful education of Western Cape’s youth. This sentiment finds a voice in PSFAs motto – you can’t teach a hungry child. 1] Nyaradi A, Li J, Hickling S, Foster J, Oddy WH. The role of nutrition in children’s neurocognitive development, from pregnancy through childhood. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013;7(March):97. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00097. 1] Taras H. Nutrition and student performance at school. J Sch Healh. 2005;75(6):199-213. doi:JOSH25 [pii]\n10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005.00025.x [doi]. [1] Kimbro R. Breakfast for Health. Food Res Action Cent. 2014:27-30.]]>

th birthday. In celebration of this milestone in the history of PSFA, we hosted the following events during March: A party at Windermere Primary School On Monday 12 March some of the PSFA staff visited Windermere Primary and treated 363 learners on our feeding programme to a tasty snack box.  Windermere Primary was one of the first schools to join our programme during 1958. Rodney Page, the feeding coordinator at the school, publically thanks PSFA for the daily meals that we have provided over the past 60 years and explained how the children benefit from the nutritious meals. Brian Chellan, the principal echoed the sentiments of Rodney and added that good nutrition played a vital role in assisting with improved academic results. Our director, Petrina Pakoe provided a light hearted talk, telling the learners a little bit about the history of PSFA and our very long relationship with their school. After Petrina’s address the children stood up and sang a rousing happy birthday to PSFA. [caption id="attachment_7226" align="alignleft" width="654"] The learners at Windermere Primary thoroughly enjoying PSFA’s 60th birthday party at their school.[/caption]                         60^th Anniversary Celebration To officially celebrate our 60^th birthday and to thank our stakeholders for their loyal support over the years, we hosted a special party at our offices and warehouse in Philippi on Thursday 15 March. Our chairman, Mr Yusuf Kader officially welcomed all the guests to the party and reflected on the reasons why he became involved with PSFA. “I have been involved with PSFA for almost four decades. Not because I have to, but because I want to.” He thanked everybody for their support. Petrina Pakoe, our director, paid a heartwarming tribute to PSFA where she spoke passionately about the history, challenges, successes and milestones of PSFA over the past 60 years. In closing she thanked the many people and organisations that have played a vital role in ensuring the sustainability and success of PSFA. Mr Doug Wares, a past president and present member of the Rotary Club of Table Bay (ex Paarden Island), the organisation that founded and established PSFA, praised the excellent work of PSFA. “The Association has a strong balance sheet and good people. This has enabled them to do the fantastic work they’re doing. I wish them another successful 60 years.” Four learners from Dr Van Der Ross Primary in Belhar performed a poem, thanking PSFA for their daily meals. Educator Amoré Booysen shared with the audience the positive effects of school feeding on her learners. “During holidays I notice children still coming to school, hoping that there will be school feeding.” Our vice-chairman Mr Brian Benator thanked the predecessors, donors, suppliers, partners and staff whose dedication and loyalty have ensured PSFA’s success. “It is through individuals and individual organisations that we reaffirm our mission: to alleviate short-term hunger under school children in the Western Cape.” The party concluded with the lighting of the candles and cutting of the cake by Mr Kader, a birthday toast, three cheers and a lucky draw where Tawanda Gumbo from The Afri-CAN Children’s Charity, one of our donors, won a R1 000 Sportsmans Warehouse gift voucher. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following companies that kindly contributed to the event:

• Banks R & L Hiring for sponsoring the catering equipment
• Quality Bake for sponsoring our beautiful birthday cake
• Peninsula Beverage Company for sponsoring the water and cool drinks
• Top Events for arranging the Sportsmans Warehouse gift voucher as the prize for the lucky draw