During the year, we became acutely aware of the number of students in our midst who come from homes where there is insufficient funding to support their university education. Many of those with bursaries and those without faced 2020 with minimal means to cover their necessities for the year.
Many who experienced food insecurity before the pandemic, faced greater challenges at home while trying to complete the year successfully. Rising unemployment also affected those students who were getting by reasonably well financially, with many losing part-time jobs due to the nationwide lockdown that commenced in March. Financial support structures of our missing middle group also crumbled as the lockdown continued to be extended.
While adhering to the COVID-19 regulations, the activities of the project had to be adjusted to accommodate calls for support from students studying from home. Needs assessments shifted from face-to-face interactions to online, using platforms that students were able to access from home.
The greater need (65%) for #Move4Food support in 2020 came from our undergraduate student cohort, but we also saw a significant rise in requests for support from our postgraduate students. The substantial shift in support to postgraduates is testament of the untenable situation a great deal of our student body is grappling with. Whilst many of their needs seemed to be somehow absorbed into their communities whilst they studied remotely, we monitored the situation to react when calls for support came our way. The November examination period is a time when bursary funds are depleted and where we have historically seen a considerable rise in requests for support.
Despite the tough economic conditions in the country, our donors continued to support #Move4Food, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the project. We continued to grapple with the effects of the pandemic though. In 2020, the project managed to raise R550 413 – it shows our Matie community cares very deeply about the needs of other students.
We are immensely grateful for the commitment of our donors to the #Move4Food initiative. We thank them for the difference they make in the daily lives of our students.
Jolene Fransman is a proposal developer at the Development and Alumni Relations Division who has worked closely with the #Move4Food fundraising team.
#Move4Food continues
The #Move4Food fundraising campaign was launched in August 2018 with the goal of raising funds to help sustain the food security initiatives at Stellenbosch University over three years, from 2019 to 2021. However, due to the growing need among our students, #Move4Food initiatives will continue into the foreseeable future.
Together with the student leadership of 2018, 2019 and 2020, various actions have been implemented to tackle food insecurity on our campuses. The focus has been, and continues to be, on creating awareness of the issue, destigmatising being hungry and bringing together our community in a way that demonstrates our solidarity.