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UFS helps students with food parcels during lockdown

17 June 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Between 40 and 50 students from the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein receive daily food parcels during the lockdown, thanks to the cooperation between the Food Environment Office at the UFS, Tiger Brands, and the Total Garage in Brandwag.

Annelize Visagie from the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), who is heading the Food Environment Office at the UFS, says just before the national lockdown started in March, they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tiger Brands to sponsor 500 food parcels to students who do not have bursaries. This is part of the UFS strategic goal of improving student success and wellbeing. UFS staff is working hard to implement initiatives and obtain sponsorships – such as this one with Tiger Brands – as well as food donations to ensure that students do not go hungry.

“Then the lockdown happened. However, the project continued, with Tiger Brands still sponsoring food parcels. Students email me and I respond to those emails. We are also looking at including students from the South Campus in the project.”

“I deliver the food parcels to the Total Garage across from the campus, where students collect it. We give between 40 and 50 parcels every day and have helped 650 students thus far. These parcels cost Tiger Brands R80 000 a month. We also provide students with vegetables from vegetable tunnels on campus,” says Visagie.

Visagie says the cooperation between the outside companies, the UFS, and even staff and students who volunteer, is heart-warming to see especially during this time of crisis. So is the gratitude from the students. They are also in discussions with the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers to provide 200 food parcels to needy students from next month.

“We have a supply chain going on in the storeroom at the Thakaneng Bridge. It is great to see how staff members and students jumped in to help us pack the parcels. We have permits and more students want to help, but they can’t get onto campus at this time. We would not be able to do this without the help of Tiger Brands and the Total Garage.”

The DSA Food Environment Office is also collaborating with senior management on the UFS Qwaqwa and South campuses to distribute food parcels on these two campuses.

News Archive

Business leaders impressed with our university

2011-08-18

David Nkwenkweza, an employee of the Unit for Students with Disabilities at the UFS, with from the left: Gerhard Joubert, Head: Group Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at PPS Insurance; Tsholo Diale, Corporate Social Investment Manager at Afrisam, and Mpho Letlapo CEO of the Sasol Inzalo Fund
Photo: Phelekwa Mpono

Business leaders from some of South Africa’s top companies visited our Bloemfontein Campus on Tuesday, 16 August 2011. Business leaders, which included chief executive officers (CEOs) and top managers from companies, such as Intel, First National Bank and Mediclinic flew in from Johannesburg. They were taken on a trip around campus, meeting university staff and students.

The purpose of the visit was to introduce them to the UFS and some of its projects. It was furthermore to share ideas about what role the university need to play in preparing future leaders for the market place.

Walking around campus, the group of business leaders visited the different faculties, some departments, as well as the bustling Thakaneng Student Centre.

Ms Mpho Lethlapo, CEO of the Sasol Inzalo Fund, said the UFS campus was different from what she had envisioned. She was impressed with our Unit for Students with Disabilities and said the outstanding facilities at the unit were a necessity as people with disabilities form part of society.

Mr Pule Mokoena, Group Executive: Sales and Marketing of Innovation said his trip to the university was an eye-opener as he had certain perceptions about the university. He expressed admiration towards Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, and said his outlook towards learning was commendable. Mr Mokoena furthermore said the people on the UFS campus were more open-minded than what he had expected and said everywhere he went staff said they only wanted what was best for their students. According to Mr Mokoena, Kovsie students are the type of graduates business leaders want to employ.

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