Department serves nutritional support to students

The Department of Tourism and Events Management has compassionately held a student food drive during the October-November period, aiming to support and uplift students who are facing food insecurity.

This initiative was launched to improve student welfare by providing essential nutritional support. Dr Cynthia Dube, the acting head of the department, highlighted that the food drive was made possible through the generosity of corporate sponsors and individual donors. A total of 29 students received meal packets containing staple foods, such as canned proteins (beans, pilchards, baked beans), carbohydrates (maize meal, rice, pasta), and toiletries. These packages were designed to offer well-balanced meals and essential nourishment for a limited time.

“This approach was designed to ease the burden on students, especially those who are financially disadvantaged or unfunded by their bursaries, which enable them to focus on their academics. This initiative has managed to minimise disruptions caused by hunger,” she noted.

The goals of this food drive initiative are to support students facing financial difficulties by providing essential food parcels; to build partnerships with business sponsors who support student welfare programmes; and to encourage student participation and awareness of mutual aid and food security.

Nobesuthu Magida, a lecturer in Tourism and Events Management and the project coordinator, highlighted the department's commitment to student privacy and dignity. To protect privacy, no identifiable photos were used in documentation. Various communication channels, such as class representatives, campus notice boards, and WhatsApp messages to class groups, were employed to raise student awareness and ensure equitable access to the initiative. “Most importantly, in order to maintain the initiative's inclusivity and respect for each student's circumstances, students were urged to ask for help through a private process. This approach promoted a culture of trust and concern throughout the department and emphasised the importance of student-centred support,” Magida said.

The sponsors included Shoprite, African Bank, Unilever, Diamond Works and individual donors.

For this campaign, the Department sent a WhatsApp message to students, placed food drive posters on notice boards in key campus areas, and promoted it through word-of-mouth by class representatives and the student support team. The Department plans to appeal to new and existing donors, to launch a similar initiative during the 2026 academic year. “The goal is to build on the success of the 2025 Student Food Drive by expanding its reach and sustainability. This upcoming phase will not only focus on aiding during the examination period but will also aim to offer continuous support to students throughout their academic journey at CPUT,” said Dube.

Magida added: “To achieve this, the department plans to strengthen and formalise its partnerships with corporate sponsors like as Shoprite, African Bank, and Unilever, as well as pitching to new industry partners, local businesses, and CPUT alumni. The idea is to create a stable Student Food Drive account that can be used to purchase food vouchers, hygiene packs, and other necessities regularly. This fund will be managed transparently, with clear reporting methods to ensure accountability and donor confidence.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za