A food collection project for underprivileged students begins on 14 April in Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Neelsie Student Centre.
This is according to Faizel Moos, manager of the Neelsie rental office.
The Food-a-thon is a project of the Maties Giving initiative, in collaboration with SU’s alumni relations office, according to Moos.
The initiative will collect non-perishable food for underprivileged students on campus using three colourful boxes placed around the Neelsie, according to Nicky Adams, promotion officer of the Neelsie rental office.
All three colourful boxes will be in the Neelsie Student Centre from 14 April, where students can contribute non-perishable food to the Food-a-thon, said Faizel Moos, manager of the Neelsie rental office.
PHOTO: Marise Schoonraad
It is the ladies who work at SU’s Neelsie rental office who came up with the idea for the Food-a-thon, said Moos.
“They are all mothers,” said Moos. “They all have that maternal instinct to want to provide for a child.”
The idea behind the large boxes was that they should stand out so that everyone in the Neelsie could see them, said Adri Brits, facilities coordinator at the Tygerberg campus.
“The boxes had to be big because there are a lot of people who want to contribute,” said Brits.
The boxes were painted by Amber van Dyk, an alumnus of Stellenbosch University’s Visual Arts Department, to spark curiosity, according to Adams.
Amber van Dyk painting one of the boxes in Stellenbosch University’s Neelsie Student Centre. She paints them in front of students to pique their curiosity about the project, said Nicky Adams, promotion officer of the Neelsie rental office. PHOTO: Marise Schoonraad
“Everyone wonders what the story is with the boxes,” said Adams.
Adams said that they have already received a lot of positive feedback about the boxes.
Sparking curiosity
There has been a lot of curiosity around what she is doing while she sits and paints, said Van Dyk.
“It generates interest and people follow the process,” said Van Dyk. “Their curiosity makes it more likely that they will come back.”
The inspiration behind the colourful boxes was to cultivate a sense of community, said Van Dyk.
There is a radiating sun pattern on the boxes, symbolising people’s willingness to give, said Adams.
The Food-a-thon coincides with the weekly market on the Rooiplein, where exhibitors will also donate their proceeds made that day to the project.
Through the Food-a-thon project, the organisers hope to get people involved and that it can become an annual project. This is according to Faizel Moos, manager of the Neelsie rental office. PHOTO: Marise Schoonraad
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