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17 June 2020
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Story Dr WP Wahl
The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) prioritises innovation to meet the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition among students. To this end, several student volunteers and student governance structures are collaborating with the DSA on various initiatives.
During 2019, various conversations were held about the possibility of creating a health-promoting food environment at the UFS where students and staff are well informed and empowered to take appropriate action regarding their food and nutritional needs. These conversations resulted in an institutional strategy to address the food environment at the UFS. Student representatives serve on a technical committee that directs the implementation of this strategy. In this regard, several initiatives have already been launched.
Students from residences and other student communities have planted vegetable gardens on the Bloemfontein Campus with the assistance of KovsieACT and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Students and staff are already harvesting and distributing vegetables to needy students every week. Measurements were put in place to continue this during the COVID-19 period. The following vegetables were planted: spinach, cabbage, beetroot, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
Food parcels, donated by Tiger Brands and Gift of the Givers, are continuously handed out by DSA staff and student volunteers. In this regard, 540 food parcels have already been handed out on the Bloemfontein Campus during the COVID-19 period alone. During the same time, 117 students received food parcels on the Qwaqwa Campus. The innovation of this food parcel project rests on the fact that business, NPOs, UFS students, and DSA staff are collaborating to address food insecurity and malnutrition.
More collaborative initiatives will be implemented over the next 12 months. The DSA staff and students are already working with the Department of Dietetics and Consumer Sciences to create information packages about the preparation of low-budget nutritious meals.
Related article:
Vegetable tunnels established to continue the fight against food insecurity
UFS represented at the 3rd IBSA academic seminar in Brazil
2008-09-26
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Prof. ‘Mabokang Monnapula-Mapesela and Prof. Lucius Botes from the University of the Free State (UFS) recently presented academic papers in their respective fields during the 3rd India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) academic seminar held in Florianópolis, Brazil. They were part of 12 academics chosen to represent Higher Education institutions in South Africa, facilitated by the International Office and the Directorate Research Development.
Prof. Monnapula-Mapesela’s paper titled "Macro-politics of higher education in contexts of periphery: Policy dynamics at macro-, meso- and micro-levels" was under the theme of higher education and society, access and massification and deepening quality. "Service delivery protests in South Africa: a Challenge to human security and social cohesion" was the title of Prof Botes’s paper which was aligned to the theme social transformation and social cohesion.
IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa aimed at promoting South-South cooperation and exchange programmes.
Photo: Stephen Collett
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