“It is very hard for some students to make it through tertiary institutions, with most not only having to focus on studies but also having to worry about where their next meal will come from,” said Hlengiwe Nkwanyana, Community Liaison Officer of the
Gift of the Givers Foundation.
She shared this when the foundation delivered food parcels on the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus on 29 June 2022, as part of a partnership that started in 2020.
Nkwanyana said: “Some students at most tertiary institutions come from disadvantaged backgrounds and with the high unemployment rate, there is less support coming from families. The foundation is glad to assist, especially in alleviating poverty.”
The partnership started on the Qwaqwa Campus and has since expanded to all campuses. UFS students who successfully applied for support receive nutritional food parcels from the foundation on a monthly basis.
Annelize Visagie, Senior Officer in the Food Environment Office within the
Division of Student Affairs, said the UFS has noted an ever-increasing number of students needing support. The donation from the foundation will see our students “having enough food for the third quarter”.
Visagie said: “This is part of the UFS Food Environment Strategy and the donation will be distributed to students on all three UFS campuses. We have a crisis on our hands; I call on all organisations and individuals who are able to support us to please do so.”
“Students go hungry and need our support, especially during the examination period. Without the support from foundations like the Gift of the Givers Foundation, the UFS would not have been able to sustain the support needed by the students,” said Visagie.
Nkwanyana said the Gift of the Givers Foundation “understands the plight of students, and the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us to support each other in times of need, irrespective of race or colour”.
Nkwanyana said: “The foundation is proud to partner with the University of the Free State, because we know all the donated parcels will go to deserving students. All students need to worry about now, is ensuring they pass their studies.”