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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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Vegetable tunnels established to continue the fight against food insecurity
CED and Investec honour top achievers in Mathematics
2009-04-06
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The Centre for Education Development (CED) in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Free State recently held a prize-giving ceremony on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein to honour six matriculants who performed exceptionally well in Mathematics in their final examinations in 2008. Three of them, Matshediso Mothibi, Soyiso Khethoa and Makae Maema from Trompsburg Secondary School, received certificates for achieving symbol C while Chumo Loyiso Madadasana from Springfontein Secondary School, Themba Mdwaba and Morapedi Mokheseng also from Trompsburg Secondary School, received certificates, trophies and R10 000 bursaries each for getting distinctions. These top achievers were part of the Investec-sponsored Investec / RIEP Southern Free State Project which started in 2006. The acronym RIEP stands for Research Institute for Education Planning which is now the CED. Pictured are, from the left: Mdwaba, Khethoa, Mothibi, Mokheseng and Makae.
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe |