This Mandela Day, the Tiny Steps Care Team NPC was once again humbled to join hands with Tsebo Solutions Group and the South African Chefs Association to bring warmth, nourishment, and dignity to communities across KwaZulu-Natal.
Rooted in the spirit of Ubuntu, the collaboration saw more than 1,690 litres of nutritious, concentrated soup broth lovingly prepared by professional chefs at the Albert Luthuli Hospital kitchen and Tsebo’s Richards Bay kitchen. Once reheated and enriched with fresh ingredients, the soup was served as over 11,000 meals to some of the province’s most vulnerable residents — including people with disabilities, orphaned children, patients at government clinics, and individuals facing extreme socio-economic hardship.
Over the course of two days, Tiny Steps volunteer teams successfully redistributed the soup to 29 locations across Durban and Richards Bay, including: Cato Manor, Overport, Bluff, Glenwood, Tshelinyama, Umlazi, Cliffdale, Shongweni Bux Farm, Sydenham, and Asherville. The team also distributed to Richards Bay and surrounds, in Brackenham, Eastwood, Esikhaleni, Empangeni Rail, Dlangezwa, Nseleni, Mtubatuba, and nearby rural communities.
This year’s campaign was particularly special, as Tsebo Richards Bay participated for the first time, working alongside Tiny Steps volunteers to ensure broad outreach across rural and peri-urban areas of northern KZN. Soup was distributed at clinics, soup kitchens, mosques, churches, and community centres — including facilities supporting TB and HIV-positive patients.
Naadia Sheik Hameed, founder of Tiny Steps Care Team, reflected on the initiative: “The true meaning of Mandela Day lies in unity and service. This bowl of soup isn’t just food — it’s hope, dignity, and proof that when people come together, the spirit of Madiba lives on in every act of kindness.”
This heartwarming project serves as a powerful reminder that large-scale impact is possible when purpose-driven partners unite behind a shared mission. On behalf of every volunteer and every recipient, Tiny Steps Care Team expresses heartfelt gratitude to Tsebo, Chef Oliver, the South African Chefs Association, and all those whose support made this effort a reality.
