The Central University of Technology has launched a food bank to address food insecurity for its unfunded students.

It assists disadvantaged students with food and other essential needs, ensuring that no student goes hungry due to financial hardships.

CUT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pamela Dube donated more than R182,000 to the SRC to launch the foodbank she earned as a speaker fee at the Humanity Summit in the United States in June.

“We aim to create a sustainable fund where students can receive assistance, at least meeting them halfway, whether it’s for registration fees or basic food needs,” said Dube.

“This mission will be handed down to every following SRC to grow the fund through campaigns and gain more support for our student leadership and community."

The food bank provides meals to students throughout the year, with plans to include monthly food parcels.

It began by providing meals during exam periods and now offers daily meals. Unfunded students are referred to the wellness unit by the SRC and must provide documentation to show they are unfunded.

‘The food bank was launched on the Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses’

The food bank has been established on both the Bloemfontein and Welkom campuses and to be assisted by the food bank, students have to submit documentation and affidavits showing that they cannot afford it.

“I’m one of the beneficiaries under the wellness unit because I am an unfunded student,” said CUT’s civil engineering student Retshidisitswe Nchochoba. “Well, the unit is helping us as unfunded students to be able to eat, dress well, and bathe so that we can come to campus by supplying us with hampers.”

The University of the Free State offers two primary programmes to support students with their essential need for nutritional food. Namely the No Student Hungry (NSH) Bursary and the Food Parcel initiative.

The bursary offers a small daily allowance as a single meal relief. Photo: nsh.ufs.ac.za

NSH Bursary Programme addresses food insecurity among students by offering a small daily allowance as a single meal relief to enhance students’ opportunities to complete their academic responsibilities.

The bursary is awarded to students based on predetermined criteria that focus on the degree of financial need and vulnerability of students.

The Food Parcel initiative provides aid to students who require bare necessities such as food and toiletries for day-to-day functioning, every month. Food parcels include seasonal vegetables that are sourced from the gardens cultivated on its campuses.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame mvh