Amy Fraser14 March 2024 | 11:49

From SA to Gaza: Wonderbag fighting famine one warm meal at a time

This solution allows food to cook for up to 12 hours without the need for continuous energy, thanks to its durable polyester cotton blend and recycled foam insulation.

From SA to Gaza: Wonderbag fighting famine one warm meal at a time

Wonderbag Foundation Gaza Initiative with World Central Kitchen / Image: Supplied

Clarence Ford interviews Sarah Collins, Founder of Wonderbag.

Listen below.

Established in South Africa in 2008, Wonderbag is a unique global social enterprise that provides an innovative heat-retention cooker, ideal for women who cook over open fires daily.

This solution allows food to cook for up to 12 hours without the need for continuous energy, thanks to its durable polyester cotton blend and recycled foam insulation.

They recently initiated the Wonderbag Foundation Gaza Initiative in collaboration with the global charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), introducing innovative solutions to address the severe fuel shortages in Gaza.

The Foundation expanded its operations to Cairo on 6 January 2024, and within a fortnight, their large humanitarian Wonderbags were being utilised in kitchens in Rafah and for transporting hot food in trucks to the northern areas of the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Collins, who is no stranger to the ravages of wars, proudly notes that the Wonderbag Foundation has established a team in Southern Gaza to aid those displaced multiple times.

They are now constructing additional kitchens and providing support to families and a community of over 50,000 people in the Mawasi area, including funding for shelters, the construction of a community centre, and essential supplies for survival.

"Israel has banned anything you can cook with and it's created a massive famine and a massive issue around food."
- Sarah Collins, Founder – Wonderbag
"It's been an incredible opportunity and experience to work in Gaza."
- Sarah Collins, Founder – Wonderbag

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.