Feeding the hungry at UKZN
Four thousand food parcels have been distributed to students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, but much more needs to be done to prevent young people from going hungry.
That was the message stressed during the World Food Day event held at the Colin Webb Hall and on the library lawns at the Pietermartizburg main campus on Saturday.
World Food Day was initiated by the United Nations in the 1940s, in recognition of the plight of poor, hungry and malnourished people in the world.
“According to current figures an estimated one billion people – that’s one in every seven – go to bed hungry around the world,” said Professor Albert Modi, Deputy Vice Chancellor and head of the College of Agriculture Engineering and Science. “Governments don’t do enough to address this issue.”
Modi said the lack of government help meant it was essential to encourage more people to grow their own food. Not only will they become more self-supporting, but they are also guaranteed to receive fresh vegetables.
Speaking to Capital Newspapers, he said: “I am involved in looking at the impact the food insecurity has on our students and their academic performance.
“Many of them come from rural areas and townships and the majority are funded by NSFAS.
“I lead a task team, which also has representatives from student support services as well as members of staff from all the colleges. Together we have approached NGOs and companies in the private sector for help.”
The biggest supporter of the food security programme, which was piloted in 2020, is the Gift of the Givers Foundation, based in Pietermaritzburg, but UKZN has also received help from the Divine Life Society, Rise Against Hunger, Food Forward SA and the Tiny Steps Care Team.
Their assistance amounts to more than R2.4 million.
During the event, students from the residences on the Pietermaritzburg campus, as well as a group which used a patch of land on the agricultural campus, each presented a report of how they started and maintained their food gardens.
They also spoke about the challenges they faced over the past year and what the project has taught them about the importance of eating vegetables.
The winner of the competition was Denison House, a decision greeted with huge delight by students from the residence.