The catastrophic Cyclone Idai, was one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere as a whole. The long-lived storm caused catastrophic damage when it hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi earlier in March, leaving more than 800 people dead and hundreds more are missing. More than two million people are in dire need of assistance.
The Mozambique ministry of and Food Security urgently requested for support.
CFAM Technologies, a South African enterprise and spin-off company of the North-West University that specialises in food extrusion, offered to help alleviate the need for food supplies. “We immediately intervened and our partners, Botselo Holdings, was able to produce 10 000 x 1kg bags of porridge on CFAM extruders in less than a day. The aid package, co-funded by CFAM Technologies, SUNfarming and Botselo Holdings.
It is a dry pre-cooked porridge, which consists of whole grain maize, minerals and vitamins. Coca-Cola also came to the rescue and took it upon them to transport the much needed parcels to Mozambique’s Ministry for Disaster Management,” LJ Grobler, founder of CFAM said.
The donation was facilitated by the Ambassador of Food Security for Africa of the Pan African Parliament, Dr Brylyne Chitsunge.
CFAM is built on more than 20 years of sound research at the NWU. Today, more than 70% of all instant maize porridge products in Southern Africa are produced with CFAM’s extruders.
“Through years of experience, research and network-building in Africa, we are privileged to be able to provide large quantities of food to the people who now needs it most,” Grobler concludes.