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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.
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Alumnus winner of national business plan competition
2009-02-20
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Mr Johan Eksteen, an alumnus of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) School of Management, was the prize winner of the Manufacturing category of the Enablis FNB Launchpad Business Plan Competition recently. With more than 6 000 entries in 10 different categories, the competition was the biggest business plan competition in Africa to date. Mr Eksteen holds a M.Sc. in Sustainable Agriculture and an MBA (Cum Laude) of UFS. His business, Agricultural Technologies, aims to extend the concept of waste pelleting by compacting these materials to create renewable sources of energy and allow for better handling of a previously problematic product. Apart from being a successful entrepreneur, he also lectures in the BML programme at the university’s School of Management. Here he is with Mr Mondli Makhanya, Editor of the Sunday Times.
Photo: Supplied |