Issued by Christina Teichmann on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 07/05/2025

On Tuesday, 15 April 2025, a FW de Klerk Foundation delegation, comprising of Deputy Chairperson Christina Teichmann, Legacy Programme Manager Brenda Steyn and Marketing Manager Abigail Baker, visited the Breakfast Club at the Good Hope Seminary Junior School in Vredehoek, Cape Town.

The Breakfast Club is one of a few selected non-governmental organisations that received financial support from the FW de Klerk Foundation this year in recognition of the excellent work they are doing and the valuable contribution that they make towards fulfilling the constitutional rights of vulnerable groups, such as children, people with special needs and the homeless.

The funds donated to the Breakfast Club, and other organisations, were raised through the 2024 Nedbank South African Charity Golf Day, a yearly event of which President FW de Klerk is a Life Patron.

Since 2016, the Breakfast Club has provided warm and nutritious meals to learners free of charge. The meal consists of e’pap, an instant porridge that is enriched with vitamins and minerals, as well as some fruit.

“Many of the children attending the school live outside the city centre in Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plein, Philippi or Delft. They often have to wake up at 4:30am to be able to take a taxi at 5:30am to get to school, in the city, on time. This is often too early for them to be able to eat breakfast, even if there is enough food at home. By the time classes start, the children are hungry,” explains Patsy Bagraim, one of the founders of the Breakfast Club and a trustee of the Good Hope Feeding Trust.

The success of the project is tangible as teachers report that learners who have breakfast are able to concentrate in class more and, hence, achieve better academic results. Another aspect worth noting is that the organisers and volunteers of the Breakfast Club involve the older learners in the project by asking them to assist in distributing the porridge, wrapped in wonderbags, to the respective classrooms. The little helpers seemingly enjoy being part of this morning ritual and feel proud to have the responsibility to bring food to the smaller children. This in itself teaches the children an important lesson and instils a sense of community in them.

Over the years, the beneficiaries of the Breakfast Club have grown from just 75 Grade 1 learners, in 2016, to close to 400 learners from Grade R to Grade 7 in 2025. This success story was solely made possible by generous private donations, as the project does not receive any public funding.

Fact is, while South Africa has made strides in reducing overall hunger, the country must remain vigilant. According to Stats South Africa’s General Household Survey, the percentage of individuals who experience hunger has declined from 29,3% in 2002 to 11,1% in 2019. However, hunger has seen some resurgence, rising to 15,0% in 2023. Children are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Serious developmental risks, such as stunting, can arise from insufficient access to food.

Consequently, private initiatives such as the Breakfast Club become more and more important in ensuring the health and wellbeing of our children.

For more information on the Breakfast Club visit their website.