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Students play leading role to ensure food security

17 June 2020 | 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.

News Archive

Lotto Sculpture-on-Campus Project takes off

2010-09-23

Noriah Mabasa, Unity is power: Let us be united (2010), fig wood, 3200 x 1700 x 1400 mm.

arwi Ragimana, Baboon (2010), African wattle wood, 1150x3400x1100mm.

The philosophers’ circle.

A year ago the University of the Free State (UFS) received a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) to implement a project that has allowed the UFS to commission artists to create a number of sculptures for the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The planning for the project is at an advanced stage and the university looks forward to the installation of the first sculptures in October 2010.

Renowned Venda artist Noriah Mabasa has created a three-metre-high wooden sculpture, “Unity is power: Let us be united”, to be placed outside the new computer laboratory near the UFS Sasol Library. The work consisting of several grouped figures celebrating the coming together of many diverse people.

Another artist from Venda, Azwifarwi Ragimana, has been working in collaboration with Gallery 181 in Johannesburg to produce sculptural benches for the garden behind the West Block.

Local artists are also involved in this initiative: Jaco Spies, lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts, as well as ceramist Dina Grobler and artists from the Tshiamo Art and Crafts Project will be working on a mosaic at the site of the eight concrete balls at the West Block, known as the “philosophers” circle.’ The project will continue next year and we can expect works from leading South African artists such as Willem Boshoff, Willie Bester and Pat Mautloa.

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