Join Chefs With Compassion In The #OurFood Challenge

Chef Thabo Mokomane and shisanyama

Food is an intrinsic part of our heritage, invisibly and undeniably interwoven into the very fabric of our culture, customs and background.

Food is also a basic human right, but for many in our country, it is a right they are denied.

In celebration of Heritage Day and in solidarity with those who fight hunger every day, Chefs with Compassion (CWC) is inviting every South African to a Heritage food challenge.

Says Chef Coo Pillay, national project manager of CWC, “Between 12 and 27 September, Chefs with Compassion is challenging South Africans to share a video of themselves holding a plate of food and, in their native tongue, saying ‘We are South African and this is OUR food’. And to challenge their family, friends, colleagues, loved ones, celebrities and corporates, to do the same.”

The price of sharing your heritage food with the world via Chefs with Compassion’s social media pages is the cost of feeding a hungry child – R10 – or any amount in denominations of R10. “That’s what it costs us to produce a meal out of rescued, surplus produce that would otherwise have gone to waste. Your donation will help us, through our network of waste warriors, chefs, drivers and volunteers, to continue our work of providing meals to the hungry,” continues Chef Coo. Since the start of lockdown, Chefs with Compassion has provided over 1 million meals to the most food vulnerable in our society.

Videos will be uploaded to Chefs with Compassion’s social media pages, and spread by participating members of the public, leaders, food influencers and people of all colours and cultures – and every South African who accepts the #OurFood challenge.

There are plenty of reasons to get involved. Other than the knowledge that you’ve given a meal to someone in need, and helped to spread the word so that many more people won’t go to bed hungry, there’s also the chance to win great prizes, meals and experiences from the participating celebrities and friends of Chefs with Compassion.

How to take up #OurFood challenge:

1. Cook your favourite heritage food.

2. Either on your own, or with your family or friends, take a picture or record a video of yourself with your plate of food saying “I am South African and this is OUR food”.

3. Pay an amount of your choice in denominations of R10 into the Chefs with Compassion bank account.

4. Upload your video or pic to the #OurFood event page on Chefs with Compassion’s Facebook page (https://bit.ly/CWCourfood).

5. Challenge friends, family, colleagues, celebrities, corporates within your circle to do the same! Remember to tag the person who challenged you, and the people or companies you are challenging when you upload your video.

6. Use the hashtag #OurFood #HeritageDay.