Miss SA Rolene Strauss handed over R50 000 to the No Student Hungry (NSH) Bursary Programme – an initiative of the University of the Free State (UFS).

This took place on Monday 20 October 2014 at the Bloemfontein Campus as part of her Random Acts of Kindness initiative. Strauss presented the cheque to Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

“I believe in giving back,” said Strauss, who was a fourth-year medical student at Kovsies when she took the Miss SA crown earlier this year.

“The UFS's support, love and gift of education drive me to give back to them. I am privileged to find myself in a position where I am able to do just that. I’m passionate about health and education; this initiative focuses on both these important elements.”

As part of the Believe campaign, Cell C provided Miss SA 2014 with R200 000 as part of her prize package. During her year of reign she donates these funds to charities or individuals of her choice through her Random Acts of Kindness initiative.

The NSH Bursary Programme was started in 2011 by Prof Jansen and Rudi Buys, Dean of Student Affairs, when they discovered that a significant number of students were studying without eating on a regular basis. These were often students with strong academic records but could not afford regular meals. The NSH Bursary Programme aims to alleviate food insecurity among students at the UFS and is awarded on the grounds of financial need, good academic performance, active participation in student-life programmes and a commitment to community service. The programme currently funds more than 100 students every day.