Stellenbosch University (SU) chapter of the United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) is reducing food waste and promoting food security with an end-of-year food drive. The food drive that started Monday, 15 November and ended Friday, 3 December, encourages students to donate their leftover food to stand a chance to win a number of prizes.
This was according to Damien Du Preez, the executive of the UNASA sustainable development goals portfolio.
Day one of the food drive: Damien Du Preez, the executive of the UNASA sustainable development goals portfolio, waits for the first donations to be dropped off at the UNASA offices on the third floor of the Neelsie. PHOTO: Kyra Rensburg
“So the initial idea […] was to capture a lot of the food waste that students create when they leave campus […] they need to throw away a ton of food [because] they can’t take it with them when they go home,” said Du Preez.
Damien Du Preez, the executive of the UNASA sustainable development goals portfolio, told MatieMedia about some of the donors who have made the food drive a success. AUDIO: Kyra Rensburg
Stand a chance to win
“To incentivise donations, everyone who donates will be entered into a competition and stand a chance to win 1 of [more than] 20 grand prizes,” said Du Preez. In the first three weeks, 22 prizes have been won, Du Preez added.
According to Du Preez, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday were donation days. On each donation day, donors could win three to five prizes, “whenever somebody comes to donate food we’re basically going to have a little lottery then and there, and see if they win a prize”, explained Du Preez.
“We have offered up two prizes — each is a voucher for a team of four to play one of our immersive, exciting escape room games,” according to Robbie Pott, director of Unlock Escape Rooms.
Other sponsored prizes included fine wines, a year’s supply of coffee at Cultivate coffee shop, and a manicure and a pedicure at Gosh Nails, to name a few, mentioned Du Preez.
“This final week […] should be quite a good finale. We’ve got R1500 from two of our prize sponsors that we used to buy more food,” said Du Preez.
Feeding in action
UNASA partnered with Feeding in Action, a programme that aims to reduce hunger in the Stellenbosch area, said Du Preez.
“UNASA approached us to be their beneficiary organisation as they would like to support our cause to improve food security in broader Stellenbosch,” according to Liesel Koen, project manager of Feeding in Action.
The food drive has collected about 10-15 bags per week. PHOTO: Sourced/Damien Du Preez.
Students could donate dry goods, tinned foods, beverages, condiments and good-quality fresh produce, said Du Preez. Feeding in Action collected the food on these days and was responsible for the distribution, said Du Preez. Feeding in Action has a fixed system they use to deliver the same amount of food to each beneficiary, explained Koen.
“It will be distributed to our platform of the 55 feeding points in 12 communities. We work from Franshoek, Wemmershoek, Meerlust, Jonkershoek, Kayamandi, Cloetesville, Idas Valley, Jamestown, Lynedoch, Kylemore, Klapmuts, all the communities surrounding Stellenbosch we are servicing,” said Koen.
Feeding in Action has been active for nearly three decades and they work with members of the community, said Liesel Koen, the project manager of Feeding in Action. They will train the community volunteers and provide them with facilities and equipment to prepare meals for their community, she added. AUDIO: Kyra Rensburg