At the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, the overall goal of service learning is to develop student learning and to promote health within the community. Students take part in the planning, implementing and evaluation of various health promotion activities in the community. As part of health promotion, students perform growth monitoring and evaluation at schools and crèches. Nutritional assessment and counselling sessions are conducted at local clinics and old age homes. Relevant health talks are given at schools, clinics, crèches, community centres, local farms and radio stations by both students and staff members.
Students provide nutrition services
Our first-year students provide nutrition services at selected local crèches and perform nutritional assessment during home visits in the community while our second-year students provide nutrition education on various topics at a mall or community centre. Fourth-years along with third-year students participate in the annual camp for diabetic patients that is hosted in collaboration with the Department of Paediatrics from the School of Clinical Medicine, UFS.
Fourth-year students also visit clinics in Botshabelo and conduct home visits in Mangaung Phase 3. As part of the Community Nutrition module, fourth-years are responsible for planning and implementing a nutrition-related project in their hometown for one week. Lastly, our fourth-year students form part of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ community based education platform that aims to develop a community-centred collaborative framework in the southern Free State for sustainable, holistic health care and social development.
Service learning activity
First-year students participating in home visits as part of their Service Learning Module
Diabetes camp activity
Kids at the camp participating in an activity planned by the fourth-year students
Second-year exhibition
A second-year student preparing their exhibition to provide nutrition information as part of their Service Learning module