Cape Town – Following the global celebration of World Kindness Day, Amazon Web Services staff embraced the ethos of kindness in a vibrant culinary collaboration alongside the V&A Waterfront, Makers Landing and SA Harvest, the food rescue and hunger relief organisation that has delivered almost 50 million meals in the four years since its launch. This heartwarming partnership extended its reach to 14 beneficiary organisations, creating a collective force against hunger and giving the remarkable women from these organisations a morning filled with cooking activities and the opportunity to learn about reducing food waste alongside the compassionate Amazon team.
This impactful initiative brought together 25 Amazon team members and the 14 women from SA Harvest and V&A Waterfront’s beneficiary organisations. These dedicated individuals worked hand in hand, using rescued food and following recipes provided by Shannon Smuts from Pure Foods. The event offered a unique opportunity to witness firsthand the collective commitment to rescuing and redistributing food to those in need.
Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest, expressed his excitement about this unique collaboration, “In the spirit of World Kindness Day, we were thrilled to partner with the V&A Waterfront and Amazon. This event is an example, on a very small scale, of the impact that can be made on alleviating hunger and food insecurity in Cape Town through collaboration.” The morning unfolded at Makers Landing at the V&A Waterfront, where a tapestry of kindness was woven through the hands of those eager to make a difference. Amazon team members, embodying the spirit of kindness, cooked side by side with the unsung heroines from the beneficiary organisations, guided by the belief that kindness has the power to transform. Akim Riemer of Green Guerrillas shared fascinating insights on urban agriculture, soil farming and waste stabilisation, the magical healing power of soil-blind tasting micro-greens, and a green juice demonstration and tasting.
The participating beneficiary organisations included Living Hope, Eyardini Community Development, Aurora, CBD Helping Hands, Nonkululeko Nutritional Centre, Milnerton Outreach, Projects for People, Eleanor Murray Residence, Restoring Hope, Grow SA students with community kitchens, 123 Movement, and the Laeeq Toffar Foundation.
This collaborative act of kindness wouldn’t be possible without the generous contributions of Cape Deli, Dutchess Non-Alcoholic Gin, Nomu, Cape Tea Co, Valota Farming, The Spice Route Paarl, Sir Fruit, V&A Waterfront, Makers Landing, Pure Foods, Bidfood Cape Town, Cape Mushroom, Dish Food, Funky Ouma, Incubate Video, The Bread Bar, Den Anker Restaurant, Urchin Art and The Pause Room. “This culinary collaboration is a testament to the enduring power of kindness, illustrating that, together, we can nourish not just bodies but the soul of a city,” comments Rejeanne Vlietman of Den Anker at the V&A Waterfront and Grow SA.