Ronni Kahn, 60, 'Before OzHarvest, I thought money was the key to everything.'

The right to a better future

I grew up under apartheid in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thanks to Mum and Dad, my two sisters and I were made aware of discrimination and taught about social justice and equality for all. From a very young age, I believed everyone should have the right to good food, the right to earn a living and the right to dignity. I’m proud to say I’ve carried those values with me, from 18 years living in Israel to moving here in 1988 with nothing but passion and a will to succeed.

A strong family foundation

When I was six, a car crash hospitalised my father for two years. Mum had to take up a myriad of jobs—she never stopped smiling though! I have no doubt my determination, positive outlook and energy come from her. To get by, she sold everything from encyclopedias to wallpaper, but one of her most memorable jobs was baking 100 cakes a day for coffee shops and bowling clubs. I’d help ice them, then we’d do the deliveries together. Looking back, food delivery was ingrained in me from a young age!

Finding a new purpose

Before OzHarvest, I thought money was the key to everything. I was earning a good salary as an events planner and kept wanting more shoes, more clothing, more, more… But then I realised money wasn’t something for me to aspire to; I was craving a meaningful life. I knew there was a food wastage problem and thousands of people in need, so I decided to collect leftover good-quality food and distribute it. It started as an ad hoc affair, but these days our volunteers deliver about 420,000 meals a month around Australia, clocking up more than 17 million meals since we launched in 2004. The ripple effect of helping others is incredible—founding OzHarvest has been enriching, humbling and, without a doubt, the best thing I’ve ever done.
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