On 18 May 2023, the School of Dentistry at the University Of Pretoria Faculty Of Health Sciences received a donation of non-perishable foods and sanitary towels from Sanlam in support of the Food Parcel project.

Sanlam's R15 000.00 donation, in the form of food parcels and toiletries, will provide relief to food-insecure students across the faculty, enabling them to continue to perform well academically without worrying about their next meal.

"The School of Dentistry is receiving the Sanlam donation on behalf of the faculty. The Sanlam donation, worth over R15 000, will be shared across all faculty students who are in need, not only to benefit the dental students," said Prof Sindisiwe Londiwe Shangase, Chair School of Dentistry.

Lebohang Tshabalala, Sanlam's Account Manager, and Teneale Alexander, the Sanlam Financial adviser, officially handed over R15 000 worth of non-perishable foods and toiletries on behalf of Sanlam.

"It is such an honour and privilege to share in this amazing project with the faculty," said Teneale. 

"When we were discussing the institution's needs, this project stood out for me. This is very close to my heart. Although we have supported many initiatives at the faculty, it is only a privilege to become part of this project, and being able to give back, hopefully, will go a long way", concluded Lebohang.

The Food Parcel Project was launched in 2021 in response to the significant increase in faculty students who do not have access to healthy food and toiletries.

Food insecurity can have detrimental effects on students' academic and mental well-being, which can hinder academic achievement. "Just a bit of background on how this came about, as faculty advisors, we are the first point of call for students. So, each student that struggles with anything, we are the first to know. So, this was part of identifying some of the students' struggles, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Lolo Mosia, faculty student advisor. 

The project was initially started by the School of Dentistry's "Brown Bag" project to bring relief to students in need. Due to the success of the "Brown Bag" and the increasing food insecurity among UP students as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the faculty decided to roll out the food parcel project for vulnerable students campus-wide. The project soon became a faculty-wide initiative encouraging students and staff who can afford to donate non-perishable food items to support students facing financial strain due to the pandemic. 

"We pride ourselves on being compassionate and caring people. That is what our faculty is all about", shared Prof Vanessa Steenkamp, Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Emphasising the importance of cultivating partnerships, she added, "On behalf of everyone in the deanery, Thank you for supporting our faculty with so many initiatives." 

"Having these relationships with the corporate is important. Over many years of working together, we have seen this collaboration between Sanlam and the faculty develop into a friendship".