Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

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.

News Archive

Alumni Stage Door 2005: Tickets now available!

2005-02-22

Alumni Stage Door: Kaartjies vir "Once upon a time" beskikbaar vanaf 16 Februarie 2005

Kaartjies: Beskikbaar by Louis Botha by die kultuurkantoor, Thakaneng-Brug kamer 55 vanaf 16 Februarie
Telefoon: 401-2819, Kostes R15 p.p.

Finaal: Callie Human Sentrum
3 Maart 2005 om 18:30.

Gaskunstenaar: Philip Marais

Alumni Stage Door
Stage Door nou bekend as Alumni Stage Door is verseker een van die hoogtepunte op die Kuns en Kultuur kalender vir 2005. Elke koshuis op kampus kry die geleentheid om `n eerstejaars groep van 20-30 lede te kies om deel te neem aan `n ongelooflike vermaaklike en uiters kompeterende kompetisie. Die groepe moet dan met `n produksie voor en dag kom wat 70% uit drama en toneelspel bestaan en 30% sang.

Rotasies: Dames 28 Februarie 2005
Mans 1 Maart 2005
Finaal: 3 Maart 2005

Die tema vir Alumni Stage Door 2005 is : " Once upon a time"

Vir enige verdere besonderhede kontak:

A.C. Geldenhuys
SR: Kuns en Kultuur

Kantoor:(051) 401 9122
Sel: 084 585 3338

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept