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Glenwood Superspar Supports DUT to Ensure that no Student Goes Hungry
By Simangele Zuma
Glenwood SuperSpar has shown unwavering commitment to supporting DUT’s Food Security Programme, which aims to ensure that no student goes hungry, on a monthly basis with nonperishable food items since October 2019.
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DUT’s Department of Student Counselling and Health’s Acting Senior Psychologist Miss Candice Leith said that the Food Security Programme, renamed the Phakimpilo Programme (Serve Life) in 2020, which the department runs, was initiated through the Dean of Students as far back as 2011.
Leith expressed the department’s gratitude to Glenwood SuperSpar for their generosity. She stated that the items donated really help disadvantaged students at DUT and assist the department to provide an interim measure until it can assist the identified students further. “Many cases of hungry students were identified and referred but there was no facility at the Institution to assist them, and it seemed to be a widespread problem. As of 2020, the DUT Student Counselling and Health Department houses the Food Security Programme and funds are dependent on staff member contributions, funds raised from the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office and food donations,” said Leith.
Explaining how the food is distributed, Leith said that they first identify the student in need, who has to undergo a screening process where they have to provide a letter of
motivation as to why they qualify for this programme or food donation.
“We require a copy of their ID, a copy of their student card, proof of student registration, and proof that they are not NSFAS funded or receiving any bursary. This can include a bank statement, payslip reflecting income at home, death certificate, pension documents, and grant documents. We then keep records of non-perishable items donated for auditing purposes. Following this, we provide counselling to explore options to assist further with the food concern,” said Leith.
Glenwood SuperSpar’s Public Relations Officer Mrs Stefanie Steffen said that their relationship with DUT goes back a long way, as they have been donating to DUT for many years.
She said that the earliest record of sponsorship was the DUT Golf Day in 2004. “Since then, we have been involved with donations to DUT, to the different DUT student residences as well as the Enactus Department. The more recent and monthly sponsorship, however, started in October 2019, when Mrs Nishie Govender came into the store to meet me. She then told me about the Food Security Programme. My husband and I discussed it and we wanted our business to get involved in the programme,” said Steffen.
She explained that every month, she contacts the Fundraising and Stewardship Officer in the Department of Advancement and Alumni Relations at DUT Ms Pretty Nokulunga Zulu, asking for a list of non-perishable items needed to feed the students. “She will send it through to me, we pick the items and send them off with the DUT driver on the same day. We donate mainly non-perishable items, such as canned foods, mealie meal, sugar, rice, sugar beans and sanitary pads,” said Steffen.
Steffen said that they review their sponsorship yearly and depending on the funds available, they will then decide if they will be able to continue donating towards the DUT feeding programme. Steffen expressed how proud they were of being associated with the programme, providing food for the future leaders of the country. Mr Tsepiso Thusi, Psychologist in charge of the Food Security Programme and Miss Candice Leith, Acting Senior Psychologist from the Department of Student Counselling and Health with some of the food items donated by Glenwood SuperSpar.
PHAKIMPILO PROGRAMME
The Phakimpilo Programme at DUT addresses students’ uncertain or inadequate access to food due to financial constraints by partnering with local shops to allocate essential food vouchers or parcels to them for two months. If a student does not have food, physical and psychological effects are evident, which, in turn, impact on their academic performance. The programme is housed by the Student Counselling and Health Department. A screening process is done by the Senior Psychologist along with intern social workers, and documentation and information are kept confidential as they are bound by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Should a student not qualify, the psychologist will explore alternatives with the student. It is important to note that the programme will only provide students with food vouchers for a period of two months.
Funding is needed to sustain the programme throughout the academic year – 300 students at a cost of R600 000 p/a (25 students per month @ R50 000 x 12 months).
Contact Details
Candice Leith – DUT Student Counselling and Health Tel: 031 373 2158 | Email: candicel@dut.ac.za Thokozani Sithole – Midlands Tel: 031 373 2266 | Email: thokozanis1@dut.ac.za
