Figure 1: Mr Aphiwe Madikizela, Ms Tshwarelo Sele, Ms Jami-Leigh Plaatjies and Mr Nkosekhaya Mhlati – the four third-year students placed with the Mandela University Food Systems programme for their practical.
Context
The purpose of the module is to enable students to apply community development theory and skills through field practice. The practical is seen as an opportunity for the students to contribute to the organisations' programmatic work, while gaining valuable experience from their placement.
With the Mandela University Food Systems programme still in an exploratory phase in many ways, we had to think creatively about where we could create functional links between the current programmatic work and the module outcomes.
A Focus on Financial Literacy
A few months prior our student hunger subgroup had hosted a workshop to bring together everyone who is involved – or who would like to be involved – in thinking through solutions to student hunger at Mandela University. Building on past engagements, the aim was that we would be able to leave the workshop with a clear(er) idea of what we can put our energy and resources into in addressing student hunger as an institution moving forward.
From this, we developed a list of 17 actions, ideas and suggestions of what we could put our energy and resources into – one of these being financial literacy.
Dr Natalie Mansvelt – a member of the student hunger subgroup, and programme coordinator for the SOWP312 Social Work Practice: Macro Level module – co-wrote a research article in 2022 on students’ conceptualisations of student hunger. The article found that participants conceptualised student hunger in two ways: hunger of the stomach and hunger of the mind.
When students are physically hungry due to not having food available, they experience hunger of the stomach. Hunger of the mind, however, refers to when students receive the necessary funds to acquire food, but do not utilise it for that purpose. The paper revealed four factors that participants identified as contributing to this type of hunger, with the first factor being a lack of knowledge and skills in financial literacy.
The student hunger subgroup and four SOWP312 students agreed that it made sense for this to be the focus for their practical: developing a framework for a financial literacy tool as one intervention around student hunger at Mandela University.
Reflections
After eight weeks of working together – including engaging with students on campus on this issue as well as the student hunger subgroup - Aphiwe, Tshwarelo, Jami-Leigh and Nkosekhaya completed their practical. Below are some of their reflections:
As a student placed in the student hunger subgroup to develop a framework for a financial literacy tool, what have you learnt about student hunger that you didn’t know before?
“Through my involvement with the student hunger subgroup, I've learned that student hunger is a more complex issue than I initially thought. It's not just about food; it's also influenced by so many factors like stigma, education on different topics like finances etc. This experience made me realise that to fight student hunger you need to look at and address all aspects of the issue with holistic solutions.” - Tshwarelo Sele
What role do you think the University – and Mandela University specifically – should play in addressing student hunger?
“[They should] continue exploring various ways in which they can assist and provide support where possible.” - Jami-Leigh Plaatjies
Overall, what did you learn from this practical experience?
“I have learnt that community work is a long process, and it requires dedication, perseverance, and teamwork to achieve the organization’s goal.” – Aphiwe Madikizela
“My experience in this practical, especially working with the student hunger subgroup, showed me how complex this issue of student hunger can be. I learned that collaboration with students, different faculties, and disciplines, advocating for change, and educating people is crucial in tackling student hunger. I have also gained a deeper understanding of the tangible impact of student hunger on individuals' lives. It's not just an abstract issue; it affects academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. This experience has been transformative and will greatly influence my future as a social work professional.” - Tshwarelo Sele
“[The Mandela University Food systems programme] is a very good idea and it addresses a very important issue faced by some of the students in the university. [It] needs to grow because it brings awareness to the students and [helps] them...” - Nkosekhaya Mhlati
This collaboration created a space where social work students could engage with the issue of student hunger in a meaningful way. It also provided valuable learnings for us as the Engagement Office around how to facilitate engaged teaching and learning in a way that makes sense not just for the programmatic work, but also for the students themselves. Managing the tensions – and sometimes frustrations – that come with creating functional links between ‘real life issues’ such as student hunger – and the output-driven nature of curriculum remains a challenge, but is necessary if we are to become a University that is truly in service of society – and that nurtures graduates who are too. It is collaborations like this – and the patience and willingness of staff and students to be part of the process – that help us walk in the right direction.
Note: this year we are exploring how to roll-out the financial literacy tool, along with the Orientation team. If you would like to be involved in helping us think through this, please email foodsystems@mandela.ac.za