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Our mission at

GNI Africa

Accelerate access to nutritious food for vulnerable communities worldwide

What we Do

GNI Africa is a fundraising and partnership platform, that raises funds and collaborates with trusted global partners to deliver evidence-based nutrition solutions for children in vulnerable communities. Every donation drives measurable impact, transparently reported to donors.

Feed Hope.
Fuel Dreams.

Help children in Africa get the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive through our Thrive for Five program.

In South Africa, 2.8 million children live in households too poor to meet their basic nutritional needs. For many, their potential slips away before school even begins.  

Nutrition in the first five years shapes a child’s body, brain, and future. When kids don’t get enough to eat, or the right nutrients, they are more likely to get sick, struggle in school, and stay trapped in poverty as adults. 

90% of a child’s brain develops by age 5

Children with good early nutrition are more likely to stay in school and earn more as adults

Every $1 invested in nutrition can return up to $18 in future economic productivity

Our Thrive for Five Campaign

Your support today can change a child’s present and future.

Together, we can reach 150,000 children with a full year of nutrition support.

Take action today by:

  • Becoming a donor
  • Sharing our campaign on social media

Thrive for Five Goals for 2026

  • Reach 150,000 children in South Africa
  • Deliver daily nutrition and growth support
  • Expand awareness and support across Europe
Learn more about Thrive for Five Program

Nutrition in action

Here’s how impact grows

Making a difference together starts with nutrition.

Every meal supports healthy brain development, stronger bodies, and a brighter future for every child.

We are transforming lives and building a better tomorrow.

 With every child nourished, we boost learning, reduce health risks, and lay the foundation for lifelong wellbeing.

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Our mission

We believe every child deserves access to nutrition that protects their health, fuels their potential, and shapes their future.

GNI Africa mobilises funding and partnerships from across the globe to deliver evidence-based, high-impact nutrition solutions.

Our belief

With its innovation hubs, strong humanitarian values, and commitment to social progress, GNI Africa leverages this unique platform to ensure that nutrition becomes a right, not a privilege, for children, everywhere.

This is the impact of your donation

Lesedi Nkwe, a two yearold from Lanseria, began life at a disadvantage due to low birth weight and limited access to nutritious food. He had little appetite, struggled with crucial milestones such as crawling and walking, and his energy was extremely low. In early 2022, a local clinic recommended onboarding Lesedi to the Thrive for Five and the change was remarkable. Within just a few weeks, Lesedi gained weight, developed a healthy appetite, and began walking with confidence. Today, he runs, plays soccer, and interacts with those around him with joy and curiosity. “He never wants to stop playing, he has become talkative and full of energy,” says his mother. Thrive for Five gave Lesedi more than nutrition, it helped unlock his potential and brought new hope for his future.

In Soweto, one of South Africa’s largest townships, food insecurity remains a daily challenge for many families. Five year old Mbali Phomololives in a household where unemployment and financial hardship often meant going hungry, impacting her growth and wellbeing. She was referred to a community care programme and began receiving Thrive for Five meals in March 2021. Before joining the programme, Mbali was quiet, withdrawn, and underweight. But just two months after receiving daily nutritional support, her caregivers noticed positive changes, she became more energetic, engaged more with other children, and began participating actively in daily activities. Thrive for Five now supports children like Mbali across Johannesburg, helping them rebuild strength, resilience, and the confidence to grow into healthy, thriving young individuals.

Phila, a young boy from a small town in the Western Cape, joined the Thrive for Five programme in September 2021 at his local Early Childhood Development Centre. Raised by his grandmother, who is his primary caregiver, he struggled with appetite, energy, and was very thin. When she noticed he held game cards close to his face to see them clearly, she sought help — leading to an eye assessment and sponsored glasses that transformed his ability to learn and play. Through Thrive for Five, Phila also gained access to daily nutritional support, helping improve his appetite, energy levels, and overall development. Today, he engages more, learns better, and is preparing confidently for pre-school — with clearer vision and renewed strength.

Your Impact

A donation to GNI, is a donation to support child nutrition through one-year Thrive for Fiveprogram. Our target is to onboard 150,000 children in South Africa, who will recieve a nutrition & growth package:

  • R60 – Pharmaceuticals
    Micronutrient sachets
    Deworming tablet (2x per year)
  • R130 – Daily Feeding
    A full menu is provided daily to each child, ensuring that they receive the recommended daily nutrition to meet their development requirements. Including: Breakfast, Lunch, Snack and Drinks. These fortified meals keep children feeling fyll and fueled to face the day, ever day. 
  • R60 – Tracking, tracing and Health Measurements
    Our dedicated group of nurses provide detailed height and weight measurements, nutritional analysis and testing throughout the programme, providing 3 x comprehensive resports per year
Learn more about Thrive for Five Program
  • Total cost per child per month: R250
  • Total cost per child per year: R3000

board members

Caryn Van Wyk

Minal Vasanthrai Soni

Functions of the board members as stated in the articles of association:

1. General management
  • The management board is responsible for the entire management of the foundation.
  • Maintain accurate financial records and ensure all income and expenses are documented.
  • Prepare annual accounts, including a balance sheet and income statement.
  • Approve and possibly audit financial statements.
  • Retain financial documents for at least seven years.
  • Decide on foundation policy and strategic direction.
  • Elect from among themselves a chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.
  • Amend the Articles of Association by a qualified majority.
  • Decide on dissolution and liquidation of the foundation.
  • Represent the foundation legally; any two board members must act jointly to represent the foundation.
  • Convene and attend at least one board meeting per year.
  • Vote on resolutions (one vote per member); decisions made by simple majority, unless stated otherwise.
  • Maintain minutes of meetings.
  • Adopt decisions in or outside meetings, including electronically.
  • A member with a conflict of interest must abstain from voting.
  • The board must fill vacancies as soon as possible.

GNI Africa Details

Caryn Van Wyk
CEO GNI Africa
Mobile: +27 65 929 0977
Email: caryn@globalnutritioninitiative.org