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Gift of the Givers nutrition packs ensuring that no student goes hungry during lockdown

16 July 2021 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe

Givers_web read more — UFS Qwaqwa Campus social worker, Selloane Phoofolo, and primes and deputy primes of female residences on the campus.

Food insecurity is one of the greatest plagues that students face during their academic careers at university.

A working relationship between national non-governmental organisation (NGO) Gift of the Givers and the No Student Hungry (NHS) office on the Qwaqwa Campus has provided students with nutritional care as they navigate the difficulties brought on by the pandemic.

A little goes a long way

The NGO has been delivering nutritional food parcels for more than a year, with the first batch having been delivered in February 2020. The partnership was again renewed for 2021. Two hundred food parcels were meant to be delivered on a monthly basis, but are currently delivered on request, says Qwaqwa Campus social worker, Selloane Phofoolo. The parcels last a few months, before the next call is made for more. “We are so lucky that Gift of the Givers has continued their partnership with us this year. Without their support we would have struggled, especially during this pandemic. They are always just a call away.”

Phoofolo said the NHS was relying mainly on the food parcels to cater for students, as no other collection drives have been possible to sustain since the lockdown began. She said in 2020, shortly after the lockdown began, they were flooded with requests for food. Since then, students have been able to collect the food parcels from Protection Services on campus. This year, requests surged again in March and April 2021 when the academic calendar kicked off. She lauded Protection Services for their dedicated efforts to ensure that students receive food parcels seamlessly while the campus remains inaccessible to most.

“We have a significant number of students who are really lacking; so, while we subject them to a vetting process, each case has its own merits because some are really compelling and dire since everyone is going through a difficult time.”

Female residences donate sanitary towels to NHS recipients

She said another kind gesture that landed on the NHS’ doorstep was a generous donation of sanitary towels collected by primes and deputy primes from female residences on campus. Phoofolo said the donation came as a welcome surprise. “We are very grateful for the sanitary towels. Now every female student who collects a food parcel also receives a pack of sanitary towels.”

“Everyone is going through a difficult time and despite the pandemic, we are happy to see the passion for students and dedication to Ubuntu prevailing,” she said.

News Archive

UFS visits Namibian schools

2012-06-27

The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Prof. Jonathan Jansen, will leave for Namibia shortly to visit several secondary schools in the country and to speak to students.

The visit will be from Monday 25 June to Friday 29 June 2012.

A group of other staff members from the UFS, including Mr Rudi Buys, Dean: Student Affairs, Prof. Lucius Botes, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities and Prof. Neil Heideman of the UFS’ Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, will also be part of the visit.

Prof. Jansen’s visit to schools in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Windhoek and Rehoboth is aimed at reaching out to potential UFS students in Namibia.
Prof. Jansen’s visits to schools since 2010 were very successful and he decided to expand his visits to schools with other ambassadors of the UFS to Namibia.

There are currently a large number of Namibian students at the UFS and the UFS also boasts a significant Namibian Kovsie alumni.

During the UFS’ five-day-visit to Namibia, the group will visit the Walvis Bay Private High School, Namib High School, the High Schools of Jan Mohr, Dr Lemmer, M&k Gertze, Windhoek Gimnasium, MH Greeff, Technical High School as well as Windhoek High School.

On Wednesday 27 June, Prof. Jansen will address ex-Kovsies at an alumni reunion in Windhoek.

On Thursday 28 June, Prof. Jansen will speak to approximately 600 learners at the Davin Trust sports event and on Friday 29 June he will address about 150 business people at a business breakfast in Windhoek.

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