Food insecurity continues to be a growing crisis at universities across the country, with many underprivileged students struggling to afford proper meals as they embark on their journey to attain education.
According to the National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS) that was conducted last year nearly 63% of households in the country lack reliable access to food, with a staggering 17% facing critical under-nourishment.
According to reports studies have also revealed that hunger among students in the country is on the rise. At the University of Free State, 64.5% of students are at risk of hunger, while 65% of UKZN students face a similar risk.
According to UKZN's Student Support Services, more than 50% of UKZN students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, up to 75% of the university's nearly 50,000 students arrive on campus hungry.
In an effort to alleviate the crisis, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) provides students with food allowances. However, delays in disbursing these allowances often leave students in a precarious situation.
"You end up begging people".
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Second year DUT student Siphamandla Majola shares how he struggled with food insecurity after NSFAS delays left him without an allowance during his first year last year.
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Siphamandla Majola, a second-year student at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), has spoken out about his personal struggle with hunger, revealing how delays in receiving his food allowance left him facing hunger during his first year.
"It's really difficult, I faced a similar situation as a first-year student last year when Nsfas delayed processing allowances. So what happens is Nsfas usually funds you towards the end of February.
"And by that time, we're already in residences, and if you don't come from a well off family, they can't give you enough money for food, so you end up begging people and sometimes you can go to sleep for consecutive days without eating, and it's really difficult, I don't want to lie.
"Sometimes you feel like giving up, and going back home because you can't study when you're hungry and hunger makes you angry" Majola said.
Nomakhwezi Bhengu a third year student at the same university also shed light on the issue.
"When the year starts we always have frustrations, the people who are able to survive are those who have parents who are working and are able to provide them with money.
"But some can't even make it to residences and attend classes because they don't have money to buy food, especially those who only depend on Nsfas allowance."
After the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, DUT launched the PhakiMpilo programme, an initiative which aimed to provide food assistance to underprivileged students.
At the time the university's senior director of corporate affairs Alan Khan stated that there's a huge demand for the program but stressed that "not all students in need can benefit from the programme."
“Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have witnessed an increase in the number of students who are experiencing financial challenges, who require regular assistance with food to curb their hunger.
"So far, the university is doing its best to support the PhakiMpilo programme and meet the demand for student food assistance. However, due to overwhelming demand, not all students in need can benefit from the programme." Khan said.
While UKZN In their bid to student hunger, launched the the Sandwich-A-Day initiative, which aims to provide thousands of sandwiches to students across all five campuses.
IOL reached out to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for a comment on the matter, but did not receive a response.
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