Bowl of goodness: Toddlers in Fifi’s care enjoy nutritious meals every day
A rural Early Childhood Development centre gets a nutritious boost with porridge and vegetable garden
Nelisiwe Makhubu and Shaun Mosia
Refiloe Segalo, better known as Fifi, founded the Bright Future Day Care Centre when she was just 22 years old. She was compelled to act when she realised that young children were at risk of being left home alone, hungry and vulnerable.
Bright Future initially operated out of a garage at Fifi’s home near Mangaung in the Free State province of South Africa. She had four children attending, but by the end of the month she had seven children in her care and was using her kitchen to prepare meals for them.
In 2019, Fifi moved the centre to land that belonged to her grandparents in Thaba Nchu – one of the oldest settlements in the Free State, which is also characterised by widespread malnutrition and unemployment. With some funding from the National Lottery and her savings, she managed to build a classroom.
The corrugated iron classroom is well taken care of with clean floors and bright furniture. However, Fifi is now caring for 66 children and there is a large demand for her services. She has also had to put up with some theft since people are desperate around her.
Food security priorities
Fifi first learned about ForAfrika during a meeting with her partner organisation Realeboga Bakung in 2015. Although she did not qualify for the programme at that time due to existing funding, she later became involved with ForAfrika’s Mangaung Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) project.
The programme, supported by Woolworths and Scania, has three main aims: to improve the economic status of emerging farmers; to improve the nutrition status of children under five years of age; and to encourage farming among people who might not ordinarily consider it as a livelihood.
ForAfrika began assisting Bright Future by providing its signature porridge CSS+ (made from Corn, Soya and Sugar with added micro and macro nutrients) and staff were given training on nutrition. This intervention has significantly reduced Fifi’s costs and improved the children’s health.
“We have even seen how a child who was malnourished has improved remarkably. We are also now able to see the signs of malnutrition and we can refer a child’s parents to get treatment,” says Fifi.
Additionally, a vegetable garden was established at the centre and the children’s meals are now supplemented with fresh ingredients such as spinach, onions, carrots and cabbage.
Fifi currently employs three teachers and a cook and has managed to get a grant from the Department of Social Development since she had to drop the fees because families could not afford R300 a month.
Her primary concern now is getting a fence to protect her beloved food garden from large animals that roam in the rural area.
“I am really grateful for the support and I am so happy that I now know how to grow my own vegetables,” she says.
Nelisiwe Makhubu is Community Development Officer and Shaun Mosia is Area Supervisor in the Free State
