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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

Tswelopele hosts first LGBTQI panel discussion

2016-10-05

Tshepang Mahlatsi, Zane Thela, Dionne van
Reenen, Dr Thierry Luescher and Galeletsang
Soato, at the Brotherhood with no Limit panel
discussion held at Tswelopele residence on
the Bloemfontein Campus.
Photo: Supplied

Ignorance about issues relating to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) community is a threat to mankind. This is according to Tshepang Mahlatsi, former Prime of Tswelopele residence, regarding LGBTQI concerns at University of the Free State (UFS).

House Tswelopele on the Bloemfontein Campus hosted a panel discussion, Brotherhood with no Limit, on 19 September 2016 to discuss issues affecting the LGBTQI community, which has often been on the receiving end of criticism, hate speech and bigotry.

Academics take stance at LGBTQI discussion

The panel, which consisted of staff members and students, opened the discussion to everyone on campus. The panel comprised Zane Thela, Programme Coordinator: Gender and Sexual Equity Office: Student Affairs; Dionne van Reenen, Assistant Researcher; Dr Thierry Luescher, Assistant Director, Directorate for Institutional Research and Academic Planning, and Mahlatsi.

Creating a safer environment for LQBTQI dialogue

“The message that we were putting across was simple. We as a house cannot allow society to define our own brothers for us,” Mahlatsi said. The responsibility of students and student leaders was to stand in solidarity. He said it was not fair that in the 21st century people were still fighting to be recognised for who they were and what they identified themselves as. This issue had been discussed at Tswelopele before and it was not that much of an issue, Mahlatsi said. “However, this was the first formal one [discussion] where we had speakers who are more informed on the topic.”

The panel discussion also aimed to challenge other residences that still do not allow such talks to take place in a safe environment.

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