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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.

News Archive

From cradle to career

2014-02-24

You have finally completed your studies and are ready to step into the world of work – and of course, earning big money. But what people forgot to tell you is how competitive it is out there. Hundreds of graduates are competing for a small number of jobs.

So, make sure you stand out from the pack!

Join Prof Jonathan Jansen for a discussion on Reducing Joblessness on Tuesday 25 February 2014, giving tips on how to secure a job for yourself. Students are also welcome to suggest solutions to joblessness after graduation.

Mark Mead, a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, will join Prof Jansen at this informative event. He will speak about opportunities available to graduates in South Africa, how to make a difference and prove your mettle. Mead is the founder of Cradle2Career, a commodity trader, the director of Tire World Exports, as well as a consultant for Africa to corporates.

The discussions are part of an exciting line-up planned by the UFS Career Development Office. These workshops are designed to assist students in bolstering their employability skills for today’s world of work.

Date: 25 February 2014
Time: 08:00–09:00: Reducing Joblessness by Prof Jonathan Jansen
09:00–10:00: Discussion by Mark Mead
Venue: EBW Auditorium (at Business School opposite the Wynand Mouton Theatre)

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