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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

The influence of load shedding on the evening timetable

2008-01-31

The load shedding that is being applied at present also has a certain influence on especially the evening module and venue timetable. As part of the contingency planning of the UFS, an alternative module and venue timetable has been compiled so that classes that cannot take place during evenings in the week as a result of load shedding can be accommodated on Fridays and Saturdays.

After consultation with students, lecturers will decide whether the alternative timetable will apply when load shedding does indeed occur or whether the alternative timetable will be a permanent arrangement.

The alternative evening module and venue timetable are as follows:

Classes that are presented in the timeslot 18:10 to 21:00 on Thursdays are alternatively accommodated in the same venues at the same times on a Friday. Double or more periods that commence at 17:00, but continue into the period of load shedding are also included in this alternative arrangement.

It is important to note that lecturers who present double periods that start at 14:10 and continue into the period of load shedding must make ad hoc arrangements should they wish to have their periods also included in the alternative timetable.

Classes that take place in the timeslot 20:10 to 22:00 on Wednesdays are alternatively accommodated in the timeslot 08:10 to 12:00 on Saturdays, in a few cases in different venues from those scheduled initially. Double or more periods that start at 18:10, but continue into the period of load shedding are also included in this alternative arrangement.

The venue changes for Wednesday periods that are accommodated on Saturdays are as follows:

BLG114 Practical 1 English (A) in the Biology Building 28 from 08:10 to 11:00
STK114 Practical 1 Afrikaans (D) in West Block 201 from 09:10 to 11:00
STK114 Practical 1 English (D) in West Block 202 from 09:10 to 11:00
ALM108 Lecture 1 English (G) in FGG169 from 09:10 to 11:00
EKN314 Lecture 2 English (A) in the Rindl Hall from 09:10 to 11:00
EFA112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in FGG377 from 10:10 to 11:00
EFK112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in FGG183 from 10:10 to 11:00
DLS112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG184 from 10:10 to 11:00
ALC108 Lecture 2 English (E) in the South Block 1 from 10:10 to 11:00
DLS112 Lecture 2 Afrikaans (A) in the FGG377 from 11:10 to 12:00
EFA112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG183 from 11:10 to 12:00
EFK112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG184 from 11:10 to 12:00
ELF112 Lecture 2 English (A) in FGG169 from 11:10 to 12:00
EKN214 Lecture 3 English (A) in Stabilis 4 from 11:10 to 12:00

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