Giving Compass' Take:

• Wits University launched its Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO) programme, which runs a food bank on campus so that students can don't have to worry about their next meal and can focus more on their studies. 

• How can other universities use this same food bank model to provide for their students? How is this model helping the surrounding community?

• Read about how fake foods are threatening South Africa's most vulnerable population. 

Hunger around the world is on the rise again after a decade of decline — with 815 million people globally struggling to get enough to eat, according to the latest UN report.

And South Africa is not immune to the food insecurity crisis.

The problem of food insecurity in South African universities is a reality — but it not well-documented, according to the Department of Science and Technology-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence in Food Security.

It’s for this reason that Wits University launched its Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO) programme — including a Wits Food Programme that works to help alleviate hunger on campus.

The whole idea is to support students with their studies, by taking away the pressure of not knowing where their next meals is coming from. According to the university, students should only be worrying about how to deal with their challenging assignments.

“The Wits Food Programme encourages student donations to the food bank — students get points for donations,” says the university on its website.

WCCO inspires students to become active citizens and get involved in community service by encouraging them to donate their time, skills, and talents to support local communities. As well as asking students and staff to donate food to help students, the WCCO programme also provides Wits students with real-world experience, and opportunities to enrich their educational experience while addressing community needs.

Read the full article about South African food bank by Thato Mahlangu at Global Citizen