In South Africa, one in four children under five is stunted – physically and cognitively affected by chronic malnutrition during the years when the brain develops fastest. Stunting is largely irreversible after age three. Its effects show up later as poor school performance, reduced earning potential and higher rates of adult ill-health. It is a crisis hiding in plain sight.
The national school nutrition programme provides meals to children of school-going age. But early childhood development centres – where children under six spend their days – are largely excluded from that programme. Many ECD centres operate in low-income communities, run by caregivers with limited resources, serving children whose nutritional needs are greatest and whose families can least afford to meet them.
700,000 meals a year
Life Healthcare has partnered with the Soul Food Provider Trust since 2022 to address this gap directly. Soul Food produces a nutritionally balanced meal formula specifically designed for young children, at a cost of approximately R1.75 per child per meal. Life Healthcare funds the supply of this formula to ECD centres excluded from the national school nutrition programme.
The numbers are substantial. Over 700,000 nutritious meals are now provided annually to ECD centres through the partnership – and since the programme began, more than three million meals have been distributed. An impact study conducted in 2025 documented the programme’s effect on child nutrition outcomes at participating centres.
The model is deliberately simple: a cost-effective product, a trusted delivery partner, and a consistent funding commitment. It does not require building new infrastructure or training new staff. It works with the ECD centres that already exist, providing the one thing those centres most consistently lack.
Clean water in the community
Life Healthcare’s Play Pump programme addresses a different but closely related dimension of child wellbeing: access to clean water. Play Pumps are merry-go-round water pumps installed over boreholes, where children’s play generates the energy needed to draw groundwater, creating a reliable source of clean water for surrounding communities. To date, Life Healthcare has installed Play Pumps at more than 20 sites across the country.
Access to clean water reduces waterborne illness in young children, improving nutrient absorption and easing the burden on caregivers, who might otherwise need to care for sick children. This intervention operates upstream of healthcare, preventing illness rather than treating it.
Why early childhood matters
The case for investing in children under six is well established in public health economics. Every rand invested in early childhood nutrition and development yields a return through reduced healthcare costs, improved educational outcomes, and higher lifetime productivity far exceeding the initial investment.
While Soul Food and Play Pump programmes may not carry the immediacy of surgical interventions, and there is no single moment of visible transformation, their impact is cumulative and enduring. Children who are well nourished at three are better prepared to learn at six, more likely to remain in school at 12, and better positioned to contribute meaningfully to the economy at 25.
Contributing to a better education for SA learners
The South African education system currently faces many challenges such as poor mathematics and science skills, low literacy levels, shortage of skilled teachers, under-resourced schools and low levels of school readiness for children exiting early childhood development (ECD).
To help bridge the education gap, Life Healthcare has supported the Somerset College Saturday School since 2022, which serves 206 learners in Grades 10 to 12 from four previously disadvantaged Western Cape high schools. The programme provides Saturday tuition in mathematics, science and literacy, access to science laboratories, and teacher development.
Since inception, the programme has recorded improved pass rates, with many learners progressing to tertiary education after completing matric. Life Healthcare also supports their career days, where healthcare professionals introduce learners to pathways such as nursing and pharmacy.
“I appreciated how the presenters were patient, approachable, and willing to engage with us, answering our questions thoughtfully. The hands-on activities made the experience even more enjoyable and helped me understand certain careers in a more practical way”, said Soyama M, a learner at a recent career day.
At a glance
Key Figures
Delivering care where it’s needed most
One in four South African children under five is stunted due to chronic malnutrition – largely irreversible after age three
Life Healthcare’s Soul Food partnership provides over 700,000 nutritious meals annually to ECD centres excluded from the national school nutrition programme
More than three million meals have been distributed since the programme began in 2022.
The Play Pump programme has installed clean water infrastructure at more than 20 community sites countrywide
Early childhood nutrition investment generates significant long-term returns in health, education and economic outcomes