FoodForward SA's mother-and-child nutrition programme is aimed at pregnant women and kids under five in vulnerable communities in the Western and Eastern Cape, providing critical support.

Once a month, Vuyiswa Dlikilili walks to a local early childhood development centre in Zwelethemba, Worcester, to collect a box of food items delivered by FoodForward SA's mother-and-child nutrition programme. She loads eggs, fresh vegetables and non-perishables into a pram, ready to be taken back to the household where she helps to look after her young grandchild.

Worcester lies about 120km northeast of Cape Town, in the Western Cape's Breede Valley Local Municipality. It is nestled in an agricultural hub for grapes and fruit processing, but seasonal work and limited opportunities mean that many families remain reliant on social grants to stay afloat.

Dlikilili told Daily Maverick that before joining the food programme, her family struggled to access adequate nutrition. Her grandchild, who had been diagnosed with tuberculosis, was underweight and suffering from stunted growth. Now, the child's development had greatly improved.

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Unemployment and reliance on grants had been made more challenging by rising food prices, Dlikilili said. The money the family was able to get needed to cover not only meals, but also crèche costs, doctor's appointments and transport.

Receiving the monthly food parcels had relieved some pressure and allowed the grant money to be used for other essentials....