94 359 litres of soup cooked in Chefs With Compassion Mandela Day challenge

Chefs With Compassion – along with hundreds of home cooks, chefs, corporates and communities – have smashed their record in the third annual #67000litres Challenge for Mandela Day, cooking 94 359 litres of nutrient-rich soup for approximately 377 436 people in seven provinces around the country, almost 17 000 litres more than the 2020 record.

​

In the biggest annual community cooking initiative in South Africa, 128 participants representing hotels, restaurants, companies and individuals took up the challenge, and got behind their stoves to cook for a cause. 

From 2 litres to 12 000 litres, every drop contributed towards the total cooked in hotels, canteens, home kitchens and community soup kitchens in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and North West.

Another of Chefs With Compassion’s kitchen cooks every week is the Marang Foundation, run by Nyana Jabane. Her base for Mandela Day was the Orlando Community Hall, where she managed to take her pledge of 2 000 litres of soup to a final total of 3 200.

Similar stories poured in from all over the country. Hours and hours of preparation, peeling, slicing, dicing and cooking with love and compassion characterised this day of commemorating Madiba.

Financial donations towards Chefs With Compassion’s ongoing work were received from several large corporates, including Compass Insure, a caring company that has played a significant part in hefs With Compassion’s journey. 

Chef James Khoza, chairman of Chefs with Compassion, concludes, “While this day is an important opportunity for people to give back, the reality is that Chefs With Compassion’s 30 kitchens undertake this work five or six days every week.

“The funds raised through the #67000litres Challenge allows us to continue operating our sharehouse in Johannesburg, rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and enabling our network of community kitchens to cook and feed people who, without this meal, would go to bed hungry.

“We are deeply grateful to SYSPRO, AEG, Electrolux, Compass Insure and all the partners, donors, sponsors and contributors who make this possible every day of the year.”

Now read: Get cooking for Mandela Day with 67 000 litres soup challenge