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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

University provides for water shortage

2015-07-20

Amidst impending water restrictions and potential disruptions in municipal water supply, the University of the Free State (UFS) has been busy since May 2015, introducing reservoirs to provide the Bloemfontein Campus with water in times of water shortage.

These reservoirs will provide water only for day-to-day human consumption, and not for irrigation.

The reservoirs will store a minimum of 24 hours’ water supply. This amounts to two 1,045-kl tanks.

The two reservoirs, worth R4 million, are located on the western part of the Bloemfontein Campus, adjacent to the Animal Research Unit. They will be used together with the current 250 mm-diameter pipe providing water to the Bloemfontein Campus. The reservoirs will supply the pipe with water, as and when required during times of municipal service disruption.

It is estimated that the project will be completed by the end of July 2015.

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