South Africa: Group Battles to Deliver 14 Million Oranges to People at Risk

Two whole orange fruits and half with green leaves isolated on white background.

Across South Africa, Project Orange 2021 is battling to deliver vital Vitamin C to at-risk women and children. This is largely due to the generosity of Citrus Producers in the Olifants River Valley.

On June 7 at Namakwaland Sitrus, Twee Riviere farm in Clanwilliam, Project Orange 2021 was officially launched.

”My hope is that our collective collaboration will highlight the importance of nutrition for children in South Africa”, Bryan Habana, says.

”It is so important that we give women and children in marginalised communities access to vital Vitamin C. Through this project we can do that.” – Zahra Manji – CECD

”To our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and children, we love you and we hope this small gesture will remind you that we care.’ – Daniel Mpilo Richards – creative director for the Ruben Richards Foundation.

Project Orange is a first in the history of citrus production, worldwide

In 2020 Project Orange, an initiative by the Ruben Richards Foundation (RRF) in partnership with the Olifants River Valley Citrus Producers, delivered 7 million oranges to vulnerable communities across South Africa.

This year Project Orange aims to do it again and is proud to be partnering with the Bryan Habana Foundation, the Centre for Early Childhood Development and CBD Marketing.

Never before has there been a donation of this magnitude from farmers in South Africa. Dr Ruben Richards unlocked the goodwill of the farmers in the Olifants River Valley and facilitated the donation of 7 million oranges on behalf of the Ruben Richards Foundation in 2020. This year, 2021, farmers have agreed to double the donation to 14 million oranges.

The RRF alongside CBD Marketing, CECD and its partners have the task of raising funds and mobilizing resources to deliver these oranges from Clanwilliam to the destitute in South Africa.

Costs surrounding this project are the rental of interlink trucks (imagine a bus – now double that and fill it with oranges), salaries of drivers, workers to hand-pack oranges, forklift rentals, operations management…and the list goes on.

One cannot deny the importance of boosting the immune system during a global pandemic and ensuring that at-risk women and children have access to vital Vitamin C. Project Orange has made it easy and simple for South African’s to contribute to this campaign and help vulnerable communities, especially at-risk women and children, to fight our common enemy – the C word.

All it takes is 50c and you have sponsored an orange, which will be delivered to at-risk women and children. You might think twice about that 50c on the floor of your car. It’s never been easier to help a fellow South African. Sponsor an Orange for 50c and let’s show the women and children in South Africa that we care.

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