Engen has pledged R4 million fuel to FoodForward SA to help power the delivery of nutritious food to vulnerable people across South Africa since 2020.

Over the past year alone, Engen fuel has powered FoodForward SA’s delivery fleet 508,906.80 km in support of its food security programmes, including its Mobile Rural Depot (MRD) programme.

Launched in June 2019 to address food insecurity in underserved rural communities, MRD sees refrigerated trucks transport monthly food provisions to central rural locations, for collection by vetted beneficiary organisations (BOs).

Each BO receives nutritious groceries containing a mix of non-perishable items and fresh produce.

“As a brand that aims to enrich lives for a sustainable future, we at Engen are humbled to partner with FoodForward SA and do our part to help address hunger and empower under-served communities,” comments Dr James Nyawera, Engen’s Manager: Transformation and Stakeholder Engagement.

According to Du Plessis, Engen’s support has enabled FoodForward SA trucks to travel vast distances across all nine provinces to address food insecurity in South Africa’s rural areas. 

“Since the first MRD programme was launched in June 2019 in the Western Cape, we have expanded the initiative to all nine provinces, serving a total of 34 vulnerable rural communities,” says Du Plessis.

These include:  

·        Eastern Cape: King William’s Town, Alice, Aliwal North, East London, Mthatha, Matatiele, Queenstown (Komani)

·         Free State: Bethlehem, Qwaqwa (Phutaditjaba)

·         KwaZulu-Natal: Mtubatuba, Vryheid, Pietermaritzburg, Ladysmith, Margate

·         Limpopo: Tzaneen, Thohoyandou, Mokwakwaila

·         Mpumalanga: Embalenhle, White River, Goba, Emalahleni

·         Northern Cape: De Aar, Upington

·         North-West: Makapanstad, Vryburg (Taung), Klerksdorp, Mafikeng

·         Western Cape: Langebaan, George, Oudtshoorn, Greyton, Malmesbury, Worcester, Beaufort-West

FoodForward SA is committed to serving poor rural communities, with 588 of their 2,750 beneficiary organisations being served through the MRD programme.

“Our partnership with Engen, our fuel sponsor, is invaluable in providing food security to these vulnerable rural communities,” adds Du Plessis.

As a company, Engen champions nine of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, which aspires to ensure health and well-being for all.

“As a caring and inclusive company with ‘heart’, support of FoodForward SA aligns with Engen’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which endeavour to ensure a better and more sustainable future for all,” says Nyawera.

Engen is humbled to continue to help support FoodForward SA in its efforts to address widespread hunger and food insecurity in South Africa. 

“It is a privilege and we trust our fuel contribution will ensure their transport fleet is able to reach vulnerable communities in the furthest corners of the country,” he adds.