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10 March 2022
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Unsplash
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.
No Student Hungry Programme presented with a generous donation
2015-05-18
From Left: Prof Jonathan Jansen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Mrs Grace Jansen, Custodian of the NSH, Ms Lynsie Pelser, PSA Free State Social Responsibility Chairperson, Dr Vuyo Dyantyi, PSA President, and Mr Gerhard Koorts, PSA Provincial Manager. |
The Public Servants Association of South Africa (PSA) presented a cheque for R55 500 to the No Student Hungry Programme on 7 May 2015 at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus. The PSA has been a proud supporter of NSH, and of initiatives such as the NSH 1000/33 Stride that saw four volunteers walk from Bloemfontein to Cape Town to raise funds for the programme from the send-off on 1 May 2014 to the welcoming on 3 June 2014 in Cape Town.
On receiving the cheque, Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, expressed his gratitude on behalf of the university and all the students who stand to benefit from this initiative.
As a politically non-affiliated union, the PSA’s main focus is labour development and community support throughout the Free State and nationally. The NSH has received a total of R165 000, donated by the union since 2014, which supports more than 25 students.
The President of the PSA, Dr Vuyo Dyantyi, said “Our motto is to invest in human potential, and in programmes that will give the future generation a chance to prosper.”
The No Student Hungry Programme supports more than 130 students each year with daily meals, mentorship, and support on all three campuses.