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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

SRC President receives Abe Bailey Bursary

2012-08-02

Richard Chemaly

He is the president of the Student Representative Council, holds leadership positions of various organisations and is a member of Mensa, an organisation for people with a high IQ. With a list of achievements that keeps on growing, Richard Chemaly seems destined for great things.

This Kovsie student has been named one of 17 students countrywide who received the sought after Abe Bailey Travel Bursary for 2012. He was chosen from hundreds of UFS applicants and will depart for Britain in November, to visit several universities in England and Scotland. He will travel with the other bursary holders.

Richard, a postgraduate LL.B. student, says it is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of previous Abe Bailey bursary holders such as Philip Tobias, Max Price, Tony Frost and Eusebius McKaiser. “It certainly is a stepping stone and one I intend to make the most of.”

He hopes that the experience will broaden his knowledge. “I'll be grateful for whatever I learn as learning is what makes up my human experience.”

Richard says he has not planned much yet for his visit to Britain. “I do, however, intend to go to a quaint book shop in London called Collinge & Clark, which is on my bucket list. It's the store where Dylan Moran - a big influence in my life - filmed his series, Black Books.”

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