Tikketai, first grade broccoli supplier all year round, has a big heart for its community in and around George and donates it surplus broccoli and cauliflower to 54 non-profit organisations (NPOs) every week.
Burger Gericke, CEO at Tikketai states, “We believe that we can make a real difference in our own community by partnering with crèches, soup kitchens, and other community services that provide children with a healthy meal. We provide a fresh product that improves the nutrition of the children that benefit from these feeding schemes.”
Jacoline Muller from Kekkel and Kraai Crèche in Borchards explains that the broccoli and cauliflower that they receive from Tikketai helps them to feed 150 toddlers. “Broccoli and cauliflower are nutritional powerhouses full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants. This fresh produce helps us to provide a healthy diet to children, though simple, which facilitates their healthy growth and development.”
She further explains that the food provided improves their energy levels. When these energy levels are improved, the children can concentrate better and are able to perform better and learn.
Burger explains that the challenge in many of our South African communities is that although it is the responsibility of parents or guardians to provide food, some are not able to do this regularly, due to poverty levels.
“The feeding schemes and the soup kitchens of our community take the burden of feeding their children off their shoulders. They can focus on other tasks with the assurance that their children will eat in school. Being part of the only makes sense to us as we have the broccoli and cauliflower that NPOs need to provide these meals”, he concludes.