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How Emirates and Siya Kolisi are using rugby to tackle childhood hunger
Airline Emirates and the foundation of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi have teamed up to tackle childhood hunger in South Africa. In partnership with the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the Emirates Nourishment Programme aims to provide around 1.6 million breakfasts over the first four years of the partnership.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi founded the Kolisi Foundation to help remove barriers that prevent young people from reaching their full potential. Image supplied.
Across South Africa, an estimated 15 to 16 million people experience food insecurity, with children often bearing the greatest burden.
A 2024 Unicef report found that South Africa is one of 20 countries that account for 65% of all children living in severe child food poverty globally.
Most important meal
Breakfast is the first meal sacrificed, yet it is essential for a child’s ability to concentrate, participate in class and engage in learning throughout the day.
The Emirates Nourishment Programme aims to address this by providing approximately 400,000 nutritious breakfasts each year, ensuring that around 2,000 learners can begin each school day nourished and ready to learn.
Running until 2030, the initiative combines nutritional support with the inspirational power of rugby, creating opportunities for children not only to receive consistent access to breakfast but also to engage with role models who demonstrate resilience, teamwork, and leadership.
The Kolisi Foundation believes that lasting change requires addressing inequality in all its interconnected forms.
Through programmes focused on food security, education, gender-based violence prevention and sport, the foundation works alongside communities and strategic partners to remove barriers that prevent young people from reaching their full potential.
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The future
Commenting on the launch of the Emirates Nourishment Programme, Kolisi Foundation founder Siya Kolisi said, “No child should have to choose between learning and hunger.
“I know from my own journey how much opportunity can change a life, but it's difficult to dream, concentrate or believe in yourself when you're hungry.
“That's why this programme matters. A nutritious breakfast may seem like a simple thing, but for a child it can mean arriving at school ready to learn, to grow and to believe in what's possible.”
The foundation’s managing director, Mahlatse Mashua, added, “Good nutrition is one of the most powerful investments we can make in a child's future.
“A breakfast served consistently over an entire school year doesn't simply satisfy hunger — it improves attendance, supports cognitive development, enables children to participate more fully in the classroom and creates better conditions for learning.
“Those seemingly ordinary mornings accumulate into extraordinary opportunities over time.
“We are grateful to Emirates and EPCR for their commitment to this shared vision.
“Together, we are helping create an environment where children can focus on being children, learning, growing and building brighter futures for themselves, their families and their communities.”