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GROW your own vegetables

24 August 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

UFS vegetable garden — A variety of vegetables, including beans, spinach, onions, and carrots, are sheltered in 40 vegetable boxes in the two 300 m² tunnels opposite the Welwitschia Residence on the Bloemfontein Campus.

At the University of the Free State (UFS), research findings have indicated that 59% of students do not know where their next meal will come from. The recent COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the unemployment rate of 34,9%, adding to the likelihood of our students being affected even more by food insecurity.

One of the initiatives the university has created to address the issue, is a vegetable production and training programme. The purpose of the programme, which was established by the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, KovsieACT, and the Food Environment Office, is to teach students how to produce vegetables.

A variety of vegetables, including beans, spinach, onions, and carrots, are sheltered in 40 vegetable boxes in the two 300 m² tunnels opposite the Welwitschia Residence on the Bloemfontein Campus. Not only is this initiative providing students with fresh produce that supplements the food parcels they receive from the Food Environment Office through the No Student Hungry Project. It also provides them with the opportunity to get involved on a voluntary basis in the food production process, including the planting and harvesting of the vegetables.

Food production is an important skill in growing one’s own food. Moreover, it is also a valuable skill for students to transfer to their communities back home.

From mid-August through to the end of October is planting season for a number of vegetables. Starting spring on a high note, the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, KovsieACT, and the Food Environment Office invited food security activist, Thabo Olivier, to address the university community and provide some valuable guidelines to grow your own food in innovative ways.

Date: Thursday 1 September 2022

Time: 13:00

Venue: Thakaneng Bridge

Invest in your future and join the event, which will include hands-on harvesting from the vegetables gardens as well as a food demonstration.

More information: Teddy Sibiya on SibiyaLT@ufs.ac.za at KovsieAct.

News Archive

UFS Student counselling and Development co-hosts SAACDHE conference

2012-08-31

The Free State region of the Southern African Association for Counselling and Development in Higher Education (SAACDHE), together with the University of the Free State’s Student Counselling and Development, is to host the 33rd annual SAACDHE conference. The conference will be held at a resort at Thaba Nchu from 10 to 13 September 2012.

SAACDHE represents the interests of counselling and development service providers in higher education and facilitates the holistic development of staff in counselling and development centres. Botswana, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, North West, Western Cape and Witwatersrand are part of the association.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Back to Basic: Getting in touch with our students today”, which promises to be relevant for professionals who are involved in student counselling and development. Members will attend academic presentations and workshops on topics related to various sub-themes, including career counselling/development - building your brand in a competitive world of work; technology; adjustment (first-generation students); student psychopathology; trends and ethics in student counselling.

Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the university will deliver a keynote address at the conference.

For more information, contact Mrs Petro Herbst at 051 401 2853 or HerbstP@ufs.ac.za. Also visit the SAACDHE website at www.saacdhe.org.

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