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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
Kovsie rugby players represent the UFS internationally
2010-04-17
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Jamba Ulengo
Foto: Gerhard Louw |
This year rugby players from the University of the Free State (UFS) not only excelled at national level when Vishuis won the Steinhoff Koshuis Rugby League and Shimlas managed to play in the semi-finals of the Varsity Cup, but they also achieved great heights in the international sports arena.
Kovsie rugby players Hoffman Maritz, Philip van der Walt and JW Jonker have all been included in the South African Sevens Team since November last year. According to Mr Dougie Heymans from KovsieSport at the UFS, the three players have already played in some of the eight tournaments in, amongst others, Dubai, Australia and Hong Kong and they have acquitted themselves well in the team. They are still going to participate in the tournaments in England (22-23 May 2010) and Scotland (29-30 May 2010) respectively.
Jamba Ulengo will also represent the UFS in the SA Student Sevens Team that is going to participate in the Casablanca University Sevens tournament in Morocco from 1-6 April 2010. The Casablanca University Sevens Tournament is an initiative of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) that is subscribed and supported by the International Rugby Council to develop rugby in the rest of Africa.
Kovsies Francois du Toit, Jamba Ulengo, Marcel van der Merwe and Nico Scheepers were also part of the SA U/20 group that toured France in February 2010. According to Mr Heymans they also played two games against Argentina in South Africa. “The ‘Jong Bokkies’ won the first match with 39-7. The second match was a 20-20 tie,” he said.