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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

UFS school of management offers educational workshop to alumni and public

2004-08-27

“The most important responsibilities of the University of the Free State ’s (UFS) School of Management towards its alumni are the provision of quality academic programmes and continuing quality service.” This is according to the Director of the School, Prof Helena van Zyl.

“One of these services is to offer workshops in order to refresh alumni’s better knowledge and to expose them to the latest developments in several fields and disciplines. Such an opportunity is being arranged by the MBA Alumni on 11 September 2004 , when alumni and members of the public are welcome to join in an interesting workshop,” said Prof van Zyl.

The three subjects that will be discussed will of such a nature that all professional and non-professional persons – from lawyers to general practitioners and people in the business world – will benefit from it.

Prof Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector: Academic Operations at the UFS will discuss The effect of the promotion of access to information on medical practitioners, patients and their next of kin.

Prof Verschoor’s second presentation will give insight into The professional as an expert witness in court. Medical practitioners will obtain one CPD ethics point for participating in the workshop.

Another highlight of the workshop will be Prof Mukul Gupta from India , who will give a presentation on marketing lessons learned from India .

The first two sessions, led by Prof Verschoor, will take place from 10:00 to 12:00 . The workshop presented by Prof Gupta, will be from 13:00 to 15:00 . The workshop will take place in the CR Swart Auditorium on campus at a cost of R100 per person. Those interested can contact Mr Danie Bredenkamp at 082 5530 535 or banket@mweb.co.za.

More than 100 MBA students have graduated since 2001 and all of them are invited to the Annual General Meeting, which will take place in the CR Swart Auditorium after the workshop.

The annual MBA Alumni Banquet, exclusively for Kovsie Alumni with an MBA qualification from the UFS, will take place on the evening of 11 September 2004 .

For more information Sarien can be contacted at (051) 401-9195 or crouss.ekw@mail.uovs.ac.za.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
27 August 2004

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