According to The State of the South African Child Report by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund published in November 2016, 14% (or 2.5 million) of South African children go to bed hungry every night.  Since the COVID pandemic that number has increased dramatically.  For many families, the reality is that there is no food on the table.  In the end children struggle to concentrate at school on an empty stomach and their learning is affected.  This decreases their chances of ever breaking the poverty cycle.