Nelson Mandela University Launches Campaign to Address Student Hunger
Nelson Mandela University has announced the transformative “Nourish Minds, Feed Futures” campaign aimed at tackling students’ hunger and educational exclusion.
The fundraising drive addresses student food insecurity and the need for bursaries. With rising cost of living and fees across the country, many young people who would otherwise be good students face an impossible choice between eating or learning.
As Prof Sibongile Muthwa, Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, states: “Education must not become something that only those who can afford to eat get. The ‘Nourish Minds, Feed Futures’ project echoes Madiba’s view of education as a driver of change.”
According to the Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Consultative Council (ECSECC), the Eastern Cape is in a “technical recession due to sharp declines in the construction, manufacturing, and mining industries, which have put employment on a knife’s edge”.
As a result, even if school leavers achieve the marks required for university admission, their families might be unable to provide financial support.
Currently, the University distributes 1,100 food parcels each month, but the demand exceeds 5,000. The situation is so critical that the University has formed a student hunger working group to address it with student-centred and sustainable approaches.
We appeal to our graduates, business partners and community members to come together and support our students in this critical battle.
Easy ways to help:
- Make your grocery shopping an act of kindness by buying an extra item;
- Clear out non-perishable items from your grocery;
- Every little bit helps: donating instant noodles, granola bars, or canned soup, for instance, can have a significant impact.
It is important to remember that every contribution counts.
No matter how small it may be in size, it has great potential for shaping the future of a student, which could lead to changing the future of our country.