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19 February 2018

Khomotso matriculated in Lephalale in Limpopo and made her way to Bloemfontein in January 2014. She was determined to succeed in life and knew that she had one chance to achieve her objective, which was to obtain a degree. However, coming from a family with an annual income of less than R80 000 she knew she would have to find funding. She secured a bursary with Distell, although it would only cover her tuition, so her next challenge was finding funding for meals and other expenses.

Making a difference daily
When she arrived at the University of Free State (UFS) she applied for the No Student Hungry (NSH) Food Bursary through the Social Work Services office and was successful. The weekly NSH funds she received enabled her to buy food and offered her extra opportunities to develop herself through student wellness workshops. NSH funded her for the next three years. “It was a relief not to worry about where my next meal would come from, allowing me time to concentrate on my studies,” said Khomotso.

Three years later she graduated with 22 distinctions and is pursuing her postgraduate studies in Education in 2018. For her, it is important to create the change that our country needs. “It was my teachers and parents who inspired me to pursue a degree. As a future teacher, I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of young people. “

Donors key in reducing food insecurity
Like Khomotso, there are many academically strong students who lack adequate financial support to sustain them through their degree programmes. For this reason, the financial contributions made to the NSH Food Bursary Programme by staff of the UFS, alumni and other donors remains crucial. Systemic change occurs when students graduate and join the country’s workforce. Together, we continue to cause ripples of change in our country.

The South African Surveys of Student Engagement Annual Report (2016) reflects that “it is clear that financial stress impacts on different areas of students’ lives. It is also clear that the impact is magnified for those who are already vulnerable, such as students who come from poor families”.

No Student Hungry supports students on their journey to success

Figure 7 shows that 32% of black African students reported that they ran out of food and could not afford to buy more on most days or every day. Similarly, a significant difference in responses is seen between first- and non-first-generation students, with 77% of first-generation students indicating that they ran out of food without being able to buy more, compared to 53% of non-first-generation students.

The overall academic average of 2017 NSH students was 61% on all three UFS campuses, with the top 10 achievers of 2017 being females predominantly in the black African and coloured designated groups, in the fields of Communication, Law, Education, Science, Social Science and Psychology, scoring on average above 70%.

Give to the NSH Food Bursary.

Contact: Vicky Simpson, Officer Institutional Advancement SimpsonVZ@ufs.ac.za /call: +27 51 401 7197.

News Archive

Fundraising while having fun
2016-01-25

With the Receive And Give (RAG) Community Service processions and festival around the corner, the public can expect loads of festive fun for the whole family. 

Over the years, RAG has grown in popularity among the Bloemfontein community as the official launch of the social calendar. At the beginning of each year, the streets come alive with thousands of students from the University of the Free State and their colourful floats. They are joined by spectators from all over the city. 

Float building

The ‘Cartoons, Animation and children snacks’ theme for 2016, has kept first-year students and RAG representatives working tirelessly since 18 January 2016, building majestic floats that are sure to entice on-lookers.

Ritsim Magazine sales

The annual RAG publication, Ritsim, is now available for only R25 a copy. All proceeds are channelled into different charities across the country.

This year, in a joint venture between Kovsie RAG and Volksblad, approximately 8000 Ritsims will be sold as a package deal with all the newspapers in the Northern Cape and Free State. 

The processions

About 10 000 meals will be distributed to needy residents of the Heidedal and Mangaung communities at the Twin City mall after the morning procession.

Floats will be judged prior to the morning procession. The float winners will be announced at 17:00 at the RAG Farm, and the winners will lead the afternoon procession. 

Date: 30 January 2016 
Times: 10:00 (morning procession) and 18:00 (afternoon procession)
Route for morning procession: Pelonomi Hospital to Twin City mall
Route for evening procession: Tempe traffic light at Nelson Mandela Drive to Old Grey Sports Grounds

The festival 

After a day of chanting, collecting donations, and feeding the community, the RAG festival will round out the day with good music. Both young and old will be entertained by well-known and vibrant artists such as Vusi Mahlasela, Karen Zoid, and Francois van Coke.

Date: 30 January 2016
Time: Gates open at 16:00
Place: Old Grey Sports Grounds

Tickets are available from Computicket and at the gate for R100 per person and R50 per student or children under 12 years of age.

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