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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.
State of our campuses: UFS campuses to remain closed on Monday 26 September 2016
2016-09-24
Based on
a discussion requested by the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Free Education Movement (FEM) this morning, the senior leadership of the University of the Free State
(UFS) decided that all three campuses will remain closed on Monday 26 September 2016.
This means that no academic and administrative services will be available on Monday.
There will also be no classes and no tests will be written.
On Monday the senior leadership will receive a memorandum, as well as a social compact governing student
conduct during student protests from the student leadership . It was agreed that the senior leadership will respond to the memorandum as soon as possible.
The senior
leadership appreciates the peaceful nature in which yesterday’s march to the Provincial offices took place; unlike the disruptive way in which groups of students reacted to the
announcement on fees by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, on Monday 19 September 2016.
Arrangements in terms of the academic calendar will
remain as was communicated to staff and students on Thursday 22 September 2016. Students who missed tests and/or lectures from 19 to 26 September 2016 are requested to contact
their respective faculties on Tuesday 27 September 2016.
There will be no further notices of suspension of any academic or administrative services after Monday 26
September 2016.
Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director:
Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393