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Fighting Food Insecurity at the University of the Free State

10 March 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Unsplash

Food security — The No Student Hungry team gearing up to start distributing food parcels to the selected students.

The UFS is one of the many institutions of higher learning where food insecurity is an active issue. However, the No Student Hungry Programme is one of the initiatives launched at the university to assist in fighting food insecurity at the institution.

The purpose of the programme

Since its inception in 2011, the initiative has assisted many students in acquiring a healthy meal. Additionally, the Food Environment Office also hands out food packages, so that students can continue to achieve academically. “We are trying to develop a healthy environment for students and make it easier for them to have a nice and healthy meal,” stated Annelize Visagie, who heads the Food Environment Office at the UFS. The Food Environment programme is spread out on all three campuses, each with its own facilitators. Furthermore, the programme mainly caters for students who are not funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) but who are excelling academically. The abovementioned students apply for assistance online, and a list is then drawn up of students who receive assistance for the year.

Alternative solutions to keep the initiative running

On the Bloemfontein Campus, the No Student Hungry Programme will be catering for 200 students in the 2022 academic year, assisting them with a daily nutritious meal. Additional food parcels are also handed out to provide further assistance. “We give food parcels to the students on the list every Tuesday and Thursday at the Thakaneng Bridge,” Visagie highlighted. However, she argues that catering for the student population through this programme can be a challenge, as the demand for assistance is growing rapidly and the ability to assist is limited. The programme relies on partnerships and sponsors to assist the student body. In fact, the coordinators of the programme currently have a memorandum of understanding with Tiger Brands according to which they deliver around 100 food parcels for distribution.

In addition, the coordinators have put in place alternative measures to ensure that they can provide more food to students. “The Kovsie Act Office, in partnership with the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, has started a food garden where healthy and nutritious produce are grown, in order to add value to the distribution,” she indicated. Although the programme can only assist to a point, students who are in desperate need of assistance are never turned away. In fact, the Social Support Unit at Thakaneng Bridge usually assists students with food vouchers for a maximum of four days.

A commitment to teaching healthy eating habits

The programme is not only committed to curbing food insecurity, but also to ensuring that students have a healthy and balanced diet. As such, a booklet is being issued by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in collaboration with the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, which contains ways in which students can make a healthy meal using some of the ingredients offered in the food parcels.

“We want to teach students how to eat healthy in the cheapest way, because they don’t have a lot of money to buy expensive food products,” Visagie argued.

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"Learning more about ourselves, our group and the world at large..."

2011-09-28

For the latest news from our students abroad, you can follow us on twitter and join us on facebook.

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A group of 98 first-year students from our university departed from the Bloemfontein Campus’s International Offices to the OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday 22 September 2011. From there, they will be flying to New York, USA, via Dubai. Shortly after their arrival in New York, they will be welcomed by Dr Anthony Marx, the president of the NYPL.

The programme, a first in South Africa, kicked off in 2010 with 71 students visiting the USA.

The programme gives students intense exposure to the academic, social, cultural and residential lives of students abroad. A total of 150 UFS students are now part of the programme. The rest of the group of 2011 will leave for universities in Europe and Asia in January 2012.

Facebook and twitter comments from our students (unedited):

Thabiso Mike Letselebe (27/09/2011)
"having fun flyin to cleveland"

Eddie Bob DeWet (27/09/2011)
"‎...The city that NEVER sleeps NYC- no jokes!!!"

Marco D. Smit (27/09/2011)
"The group travelling to Minnesota University... We are having a great time, learning more about ourselves, our group and the world at large. Thank you for the grate opportunity!"

Vusi Mesatywa (27/09/2011)
"by Sherilyn Roelofse - Apart from the amazing beauty of the JMU campus (Harrisonburg, Virginia), I am taking in so much! It is amazing to see how everything functions here. I am astounded by the way the food system of the university works - it's so organised! I also love how there is always something happening on campus. For example, tonight we attended a session hosted by the Harrisonburg Fire Department and we had to move through a smoke filled room. drag a deadweight-dummy, and put out a fire. And yes, we have discovered that the American campus life is pretty much exactly what it looks like on movies! ;)"

Cecile Boshoff (26/09/2011)
"Appalacian State University is the best place ever!!!! We are all in love with this place!"

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