To meet Chefs with Compassions #67000Litres Nelson Mandela Day challenge, SYSPRO hosted its first #67000L staff cook off on Thursday, 14 July, to prepare soup and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
The #67000litres for Mandela Day initiative was launched in 2020 by Chefs with Compassion (CWC), a volunteer-based food rescue organisation when chefs in professional kitchens stepped up to cook 67 000L of soup in honour of Madiba.
As part of the staff cook off, volunteering employees were able to pledge a part of their salary for ingredients or donate food from home to a fully organised kitchen run by Chef Citrum Khumalo, Principal of Culinary Passions School of Hospitality, at SYSPRO’s Johannesburg Offices in Sunninghill.
Volunteering employees were split into production lines, taking shifts of 67 minutes as they supported Chef Khumalo prepare, cut and stir vegetables and chicken, which over the day was cooked into 300 litres of chicken minestrone soup and 300 portions of stir fry and chicken pasta bake, in total feeding 2140 people.
Creating a supporting network
This event is part of SYSPRO’s UPlift programme, which was launched in 2020 to provide sustainable solutions that make a meaningful impact within the communities they operate. UPlift’s vision is to bring SYSPRO customers and partners together to create a community that provides Chefs with Compassion with the tools, resources and food needed to help them to meet their goals and continue feeding those most in need.
“This would not be possible without the support from our partners and customers within the UPlift programme. It is amazing to see such a positive response from everyone especially our volunteering employees who gave 67 minutes of their time towards an essential cause. Today everyone has stepped up and we are positive that we will surpass our goal of 67000 litres this year,” says Mark Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, SYSPRO EMEA&I.
What is the #67000Litres challenge
Food wastage is a massive problem across the globe. Within South Africa, 20 million people are classified as food vulnerable, with malnutrition levels at an all-time high. While many people go hungry every day, it has been established that South Africans waste one-third of all food in the country – roughly 10 million tonnes of food annually. Much of this food wastage happens at production and retail levels, but across the food supply chain, there is wastage.
“In times like these, as people, we must come together to assist those who are most in need. In the spirit of Madiba, SYSPRO and their volunteers have stepped up to the Chefs with Compassion #67000Litres challenge and prepared some delicious but more importantly nutritious soup and stirfry that will be delivered to several children’s homes, NGOs and other beneficiaries across Gauteng,” says Chef Khumalo.
“While today we know that each litre of soup will be helping someone in need, there is still much more that needs to be done if we are to solve the hunger crisis within South Africa. For Chefs with Compassion, this is an ongoing mission to Rescue, Cook and Feed, and they need ongoing support throughout the year,” concludes Mark Wilson.
For more information on Chefs with Compassion, go to www.cwc.org.za or CWC UPlift (syspro.com) and find out how you or your organisation can get involved, prevent food wastage and make a difference.
