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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.
Venue change for important Odeion School of Music event
2016-09-21
Due to the unforeseen closing of the campuses of the University of the Free State from 20 to 23 September 2016, substantial changes had to be made to the venues and schedules of The Liesbeth Schlumberger Organ Chair (presented by the Odeion School of Music at the UFS) and the Annual Southern African Church Organists Society (SAKOV) Meeting and Bursary Competition.
The event, scheduled for 22-29 September 2016, will now take place at the following venues:
Wednesday 21 September 2016
15:00-18:00 DRC Onze Rust Rehearsals SAKOV Bursary Candidates
Thursday 22 September 2016
08:00-21:00 DRC Onze Rust, Rehearsals SAKOV Bursary Candidates
14:00-16:30 DRC Langenhoven Park, Organ Marathon
17:30-18:30 Lutheran Church St Paulus, Liesbeth Schlumberger Concert
18:00-21:00 DRC Universitas SAKOV EXCOM Meeting
22:00 Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral, Late Night Concert with works by Olivier Messiaen
Friday 23 September 2016
08:00-10:15 DRC Onze Rust, Bursary Candidates Competition
12:00-15:00 DRC Onze Rust, Bursary Candidates Competition
15:00-16:30 DRC Langenhoven Park Masterclass: Church music (Dr Jan Beukes)
17:00-19:00 DRC Universtas, SAKOV Regional Representatives Meeting
19:30 DRC Universtas, Liesbeth Schlumberger Gala Concert
Saturday 24 September 2016
DRC Langenhoven Park
08:00-08:30 Registration
08:30-09:00 Opening and singing, Rev Jaques Louw and Margaret van der Vegt
09:00-09:15 SAKOV Honorary membership award
09:15-10:00 General Assembly
10:00-11:00 G Cillié Memorial Lecture, Prof Elsabé Kloppers
Klinkende ruimte: Reformasie deur die kerklied
11:00-12:00 Lecture (Liesbeth Schlumberger): L'Art de Toucher / Die kuns van musikale aanslag/The Art of Touch
12:00-13:00 Lunch
14:30-17:00 Organ Safari, DRC Langenhoven Park starting point
19:30 DRC Onze Rust, SAKOV Bursary Gala Concert
Sunday 25 September 2016
Lutheran Church St Paulus 10:00
Morning Service accompanied by Liesbeth Schlumberger
Monday 26 to Thursday 29 September 2016
Masterclass series Liesbeth Schlumberger - Kurpershoek, Odeion School of Music
For any inquiries please contact Marius Coetzee on +27 51 401 3152, +27 72 338 2240 or CoetzeeML@ufs.ac.za.