In 2003, Shelley Godsell started a feeding project aimed at 60 kids in the community of Knysna. Nearly 22 years later, the project has provided over 12 million meals. Through the project, they now feed 5 400 children daily across 119 pre-schools along the Garden Route. She spoke to SMF News’ Kyla Laing.
Through her children’s feeding project, Shelley Godsell is able to feed 5 400 children daily across 119 pre-schools along the Garden Route. “I could have never imagined I would be feeding hundreds of children,” she said. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
Shelley Godsell remembers growing up in a quiet and sheltered home on the East Rand of Johannesburg.
However, as a child, she already showed a love for nurturing others.
Church youth groups, Sunday school and Girl Guides gave Shelley the opportunity to care for people. She volunteered in local townships, working with crippled children affected by Polio.
Her first job was as a foundation phase teacher at a primary school in Johannesburg.
Shelley married Peter Godsell whom she met at a church youth group. She left her job to raise their two boys, Stephen and Grant.
‘I didn’t know nothing meant nothing’
Whilst still living in Johannesburg, Shelley got involved in a pre-school project through her church. One day, Peter had gone to survey a piece of land that the church owned. In the evening, he came home and told Shelley how little the community living on the land had.
“There was no running water, no electricity, no bathrooms and no toys,” said Shelley. “I didn’t know nothing meant nothing.”
Shelley partnered with a church acquaintance, Alice Chikomo, to start a pre-school on the land.
For 5 years, Shelley and Alice, a teacher from Zimbabwe, went to the school three days per week. What started as a pre-school became a community centre, expanding over the years to include a jungle gym, cycling track and a clinic.
The community collectively agreed to name it Twananani, meaning mutual understanding.
With both boys out of the house, Shelley and Peter saw this as an opportunity to seek a quieter life and moved to Knysna in 1995.
But living the slow life wasn’t on the table for Shelley just yet.
Shelley, along with her best friend, Lally Viljoen, started a teacher training programme in 1996 to train and educate local teachers.
“We went into the local townships in Knysna and asked teachers what they needed most. They said what we need most is education and teacher training.”
Over 5 years, 13 teachers earned a National Qualification Framework (NQF). This meant that their training would be formally recognized by the South African qualifications authority (SAQA) and has met the national education standards.
Nondumiso Nanto (left), an e’PAP cook at Paula Whitney Crèche in Knysna, and Tembisa Yawa (right), a teacher at Paula Whitney Crèche, collecting bowls after break-fast time at the school. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
‘A lot of little tummies have been filled’
Volunteering as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Knysna Sedgefield Hospice in 2003, Peter heard of a porridge called e’Pap created by an Industrial Chemist, Basil Kransdorff.
Developed in response to the HIV pandemic, e’Pap is a pre-cooked porridge packed with a multitude of easily absorbable vitamins and minerals, said Shelley.
Because she was involved with local schools at the time (through the teacher training programme), Shelley knew that many pre-schoolers were malnourished and underfed.
Peter and Shelley decided to buy 2 bales of e’Pap consisting of 40 packets each. They purposefully trial ran them at two very different pre-schools: A countryside school in Rheenendal and a township school in Concordia, outside Knysna. The plan was to feed children in these schools for a period of 6 months, bringing in a nutritionist to measure results.
“After just one month we saw results,” said Shelley.
For Shelley and Peter it wasn’t just about giving the children something to eat, but making sure the food offered nutritional value.
“Not just doing it to fill tummies but to build and boost the immune system and nourish the kids,” she said.
Shelley knew after the trial run that the project had potential to aid the hunger and need of pre-schools Knysna.
“We’ve never been hampered by thinking we can’t feed the whole of Knysna, but we can feed all the pre-school children in Knysna. And that we will do, and do well and with joy.”
In December 2003, the project received a Christmas donation for children’s work from the Knysna Methodist Church. According to Shelley, this meant that they had enough money to feed 60 children across four to five pre-schools for the whole year, without breaks in-between.
“We only started with enough schools that we could offer to feed for the whole year,” said Shelley. “We didn’t want to stop and start.”
It was important for her to establish relationships with regular donors, many of whom have become close friends, according to Shelley.
As they were able to add more schools to the feeding scheme, Shelley received an overwhelming number of responses of people wanting to volunteer.
“e’Pap is something I’m totally passionate about and that’s what I see in the volunteers. It means something special and it’s not just a chore to be done,” she said.
Today, there are 90 volunteers delivering porridge to 119 pre-schools in George, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Combined, they feed 5 400 children daily, she said.
“I never imagined I would be feeding hundreds of children. It was just about meeting a need at a particular time,” said Shelley.
Sibahle Mtumi, a pre-school teacher at Paula Whitney Crèche in Knysna, feeding breakfast to one of the children at the crèche. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
Bringing hope to Knysna Crèche
Paula Whitney Crèche is a local township pre-school in Knysna.
Through the feeding scheme, around 80 children at the school are fed every day, said the principal, Nowethu Ngemntu.
The feeding scheme plays a big role in the children’s lives, she said. Before, most had no energy for school work.
“There’s a lot of children who doesn’t have snack at all. They came to school because parents knew there’s e-Pap,” said Nowethu.
“Shelley helps us a lot through e’Pap and her beautiful heart with volunteers,” she said.
Lucie Hawkins, a volunteer for the project, said she started delivering porridge to Paula Whitney two and a half years ago.
“We deliver once a fortnight. We deliver 40 packets and 2kg of soya that they can cook,” said Lucie. “Since they’ve been having it four times a week, the children are a lot healthier and happier.”
Nondumiso Nanto (left) and Patricia Njozela(right), cooks at Paula Whitney Crèche in Knysna, cook porridge for nearly 80 children a day. “It’s really important to give kids nutrient balanced food and to think those children aren’t going hungry,” said Lucie Hawkins, a volunteer assigned to Paula Whitney Crèche. PHOTO: Kyla Laing
Leaving a legacy
It’s been 22 years since Shelley started the feeding scheme. She now wants to step back from the project and bring in younger people who she hopes will continue with the ethos she has created.
“We’ve created love and care,” she said
While Shelley has met challenges through the years, the rewards of serving and meeting people from all walks of life turned what some may see as a job into a mission of passion.
“For me it’s a calling,” said Shelley. “I see it as a privilege to be able to have that experience with people so different.”
“A lot of what we do is building relationships and bridges,” said Shelley. “Building bridges between people who have so much and people who have so little.”
As she reflects on her journey, Shelley hopes that she will be remembered as an example of caring.
“I hope I’m remembered as someone who really cared.”
Nondumiso Nanto, a cook at Paula Whitney Crèche in Knysna, with a packet of e’Pap, an instant porridge. A total of 80 children at the school are fed daily through the feeding scheme initially started by Shelley Godsell in 2003. PHOTO: Kyla Laing