UP's Give-what-you-can initiative helps students in need

Posted on September 01, 2015

The Young Alumni and Student Committee (YASCOM) of the University of Pretoria (UP) is calling on the public, UP staff and students to open their hearts to less fortunate students by supporting the Give-what-you-can initiative, which will be held on the Piazza at the UP Hatfield Campus on Tuesday, 8 September 2015. The aim of this initiative is to collect non-perishable food, toiletries and money (for extra groceries) for distribution among needy students.

According to Jacqui Pietersen, Coordinator of YASCOM, many UP students whose financial resources are exhausted by the cost of their studies, are struggling. 'For these students hunger and their inability to provide in other basic needs are very real obstacles preventing them from achieving optimal academic performance, which places their ambitions for the future at risk. Many of these students are the recipients of grants that do not cover the full cost of a university education and leave them vulnerable and without funds to provide in their basic needs, such as food, toiletries, books and accommodation. These students generally feel helpless and isolated as a result of their economic situation, and more often than not fellow students are totally unaware of their circumstances.'

YASCOM aims to raise awareness of the plight of these students. 'We are striving towards a future where no student at UP will go to bed hungry, where no one will have to write an exam on an empty stomach, and where the educational experience will be a pleasant one for all involved,' Pietersen said.

For more information about YASCOM, or to make a contribution, please contact Jacqui Pietersen on tel 012 420 3702 or email [email protected].

 

- Author Department of University Relations

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