African Design Magazine ADM #36 December 2017 | Page 24

FEEDING
THE FUTURE
ccording to research from the South African Institute of Food, one-fifth of
South Africa's population is food insecure. The South African Department of
Education has introduced feeding schemes to help ensure learners are not
a ending schools hungry.
The South African school feeding scheme - or as it is officially called: the National
School Nutrition Programme - aims to foster be er quality education by:
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enhancing children's active learning capacity;
alleviating short-term hunger;
providing an incentive for children to a end school regularly and punctually;
addressing certain micro-nutrient deficiencies.
School feeding is a small part of the Integrated Food Security Strategy for South Africa,
which was introduced in 2002 and involves the Departments of Health, Social
Development, Land Affairs and Agriculture.
In a remote area of Middleburg, the Phumelela Secondary School forms an integral
part of the local government's implementation of the scheme. The school is a non-fee
paying school that serves as a catchment for pupils coming from poor households,
most of which are either staying in RDP houses or rented back rooms.
The client approached EarthSwitch Architects to provide a kitchen facility that could
execute feeding scheme's programme to approximately 850 students.
FUNCTIONAL FEEDING
Striving for a sustainable functional solution, two containers were converted into fully
functional feeding facility. With a shaded roof cover the facility doubles-up as a venue
for additional lessons and presentations.
By way of limited access to electricity, the feeding facility's energy demands are met
through a Solar PV system. Gas is used for cooking and water heating, with rainwater