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Gift of the Givers helps UFS partners combat food insecurity among students

18 March 2024 | Story Athembele Yangaphi | Photo SUPPLIED

Shoe Box — Supporting Student Success: UFS initiatives like the Santa Shoebox Project and the No Student Hungry Programme combat food insecurity, providing essential resources for students and fostering academic growth and community impact.

The University of the Free State's (UFS’s) Division of Student Affairs recently received a donation of food parcels for needy students from the Gift of the Givers Foundation. The donation forms part of the work done by the Division, the Food Environment Office and Kovsie ACT to positively impact students.

Jady Carelse, Assistant Officer in the Food Environment Office, accepted Gift of the Givers’ 250 food parcels at the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus. “Starting a year can be very overwhelming for most students, especially first-time-entering students, as they are still trying to adapt to the change of environment,” Carelse said. “The Food Environment Office strives to ensure that food insecurity is not part of their struggle.”

Since its inception in 2011, the No Student Hungry Programme (NSH), a first in a higher education institution, continues to support students with food packages, especially those not funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

“The NSH has impacted the lives of many students through the food parcel initiative. We have received testimonies from our previous and current beneficiaries on how the initiative has impacted their lives in pursuing their academics,” added Carelse.

The NSH programme's food parcel initiative and the Santa Shoebox Project by the Division of Student Affairs are vital in supporting students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in their academic pursuits.

The Santa Shoebox Project, which ran from 1 November 2023 to 1 March 2024, is one of many other initiatives that the Kovsie ACT office is highly passionate about. A-Step Assistant, Likhona Dladla, managing Kovsie ACT Community Service Portfolio, said, “We strive to be a helping hand to students by providing them with essential items such as toiletries, sanitary pads, stationery, and clothes to make their academic journey bearable.”

For the 2023/2024 Santa Shoebox Project, UFS residences donated 246 shoeboxes containing donations of toiletries for students in need. Residence Committee members responsible for community portfolios collected the donations from residence students and delivered the items in shoeboxes to the Kovsie ACT office.

“We believe that the donations we have received are of a high standard for the remaining projects and initiatives,” Dladla said.

Kovsie ACT welcomes donations from individuals beyond the university's residential community. Donations can be made directly at the Kovsie ACT office on the Bloemfontein Campus, and the team is ready to assist and accept contributions. Non-residents can also contribute through the annual Big Give donation drive, which encourages donations of non-perishable food items, sanitary pads, and clothing. Look for Big Give donation boxes around campus, gates, and key locations. Stay updated on donation drives and campaigns via campus posters and social media. Please click here to make a monetary donation to support the ‘Back a Buddy’ campaign.

News Archive

Leadership and responsible citizenship: key themes at the Global Leadership Summit

2015-07-09

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Leadership and responsible citizenship have been the main topics of discussion at the Global Leadership Summit which started on 5 July at the UFS Campus in Bloemfontein, and will continue until 17 July. More than 103 international delegates from various universities in Asia, the United States, and Europe, as well as 40 student delegates from the University of the Free State, are attending.

Kick-starting the summit talks was Prof Joel Samoff (Stanford University) who led discussions on transformation in institutions around the world. “Transformation is a constantly-changing interaction. It is not a single objective, but a process, “ he said. This was followed by a robust panel discussion with student leaders of the UFS and those from James Madison University, Mount Holyoke College, and Rutgers University, who described the journey of transformation at their various universities. “Young people are leading themselves in a different way, the context of the society we live in has changed,” said a UFS Student.

Keynote speaker, Zelda la Grange, gave an account of her experiences and the colourful journey of discovery of a “different” South Africa, working with President Nelson Mandela for 19 years, a journey that is the subject of her book, “Good Morning Mr Mandela “. Under the theme “Breathing the same air: A metaphor for human solidarity, Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Senior Research Professor in Trauma, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation Studies led a talk with Candice Mama, the daughter of slain anti-apartheid activist, Gelnack Masilo Mama, one of the victims of the former hit squad commander, Eugene de Kok. Candice inspired the audience with her philosophy on life and letting go of trauma: “Forgiveness is a process, and one needs to forgive to be able to be liberated from anger and bitterness,” she said.

Dr Lis Lange, Vice Rector: Academic, UFS spoke of citizenship and freedom, focusing on the responsibility that humans have to create ethical, positive, and meaningful interaction in their daily lives and in their societies across the globe.

As part of the programme, delegates will visit the Qwaqwa Campus on 10 July 2015, where they will interact with the leadership of the campus, its staff, and students, and enjoy an arts and cultural experience of the Eastern Free State. The summit will end with a visit to various sites in Bloemfontein, where delegates will engage in community-based outreach activities in disadvantaged communities around the city.

UFS to host second Global Leadership Summit

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