Hundreds of student volunteers took over the University of Western Cape’s Student Centre for a good cause -  packing meals for underprivileged children.

From early on Tuesday, March 18, the student volunteers went about their work packing 40 000 meals, amidst the cacophony of dominos being slammed on tables. One of the volunteers, Alinda Noqazo, a first-year LLB student, said she joined the initiative to help bring about change.

“I want to offer my help where it's needed since I can’t offer financial help. I know that my presence can, maybe, make a difference. Some people can feel inspired, some people might know that everything is possible if I pack(meal kits) with them,” said Noqazo who hails from Margate in KwaZulu-Natal.

Another student, Joy Fisher who is in her first year of a BA Politics degree said: “Some of us are privileged and some aren’t, so I feel like in those moments and those times it is very important to do your best, try to reach out and try to support others whether its volunteering or whether it's trying to put yourself out there in helping. I wanted to do that today”.

Western Cape regional manager for Rise Against Hunger, Dayne Myles said the organisation specifically focused on nutrition and education. Nationally, the organisation has ECD projects in eight provinces. 

“Our main focus is on the ECD sector (Early Childhood Education). Basically what we’re trying to do is to provide meals for unregistered ECD’s and alongside that by providing them food we remove one of their largest overheads. The ECD is then able to reinvest that saving back into the creche, which our team facilitates. They will eventually reach a point where they will be able to then register with the state. The State then provides a subsidy towards feeding at that stage,” said Myles who explained that there are an estimated 1000 unregistered ECDs in the Western Cape.

“It’s so difficult to learn on an empty stomach but in our context in South Africa, if a child is in an ECD centre they’re also off the street, they’re in a place of safety, they’re getting an education, they’re getting a good nutritious meal- all of our meals are fortified with vitamins and minerals.”

Rise Against Hunger supports 159 unregistered ECD’s across the Western Cape and another 120 through their partner network. They feed between 17000 and 19000 children five days a week at ECDs in the Cape Town Metro and as far afield as Touws River and Saldanha Bay on the West Coast.

Myles said the event at UWC meant that they would be able to feed over 173 kids for the year.

“We like university students because they’re usually quite active hands, they’re usually good at packing and they pack quickly…These are the present and future leaders of our country and if we can get people at this age to buy into the idea of tackling food security when they go off into the workplace and become professionals, they will then take the same ethos forward.”

WATCH: UWC’s Centre for Student Support Services (CSSS) and Rise Against Hunger are bringing students and volunteers together to pack meals, raise awareness, and break the stigma around food insecurity. Every meal packed is a step toward real change




Thumbnail Image: Quinton Mtyala