College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

Unisa contributes to the eradication of poverty

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Dr Florence Malongane

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is commemorated in mid-October annually, but poverty continues to be a global challenge. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation, considering the number of people that lost their jobs and found it challenging to provide for their families.

Dr Florence Malongane, Unisa's Head of Academic Quality Assurance and Enhancement and a Senior Lecturer in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES), says from the university context, to further address the scourge of poverty, the college, through its various departments, will need to intensify its engaged scholarship and community engagement activities. She explains: "These departments are geared towards addressing most sustainable development goals, such as achieving no poverty and zero hunger, clear water, sustainable cities and communities and climate action, and life below water."


Examining food insecurity

Unisa, as a centre of academic excellence, research and innovation, has conducted various research studies through its competent scholars that address issues around agriculture, food security and nutrition, among others. The co-authored studies include productions by Oguttu et al. (2021), Modibedi et al. (2021) and Sambo et al. (2022).

To provide a bigger picture of poverty in South Africa, Statistics South Africa's 2019 report highlights that about 17.3%, approximately 10,1 million citizens, were still experiencing moderate to severe food insecurity. While the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (2022), among others, reports that about 1.3 million South African children under the age of five are affected by severe malnutrition.

Various scholars across the globe have also conducted studies that indicate how the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenge, especially in South Africa. Van der Berg et al. (2022) remark that there was a sharp increase in the percentage of people who could not purchase food in the first months of the pandemic and that the reported level of household hunger was 23% during the May/June 2020 period. In addition, Mbatha et al. (2021) note that the instability of the food supply worsened the situation, causing a sharp decline in the local market and the closure of flea markets and street vendors.

Malongane says: "Pre-COVID-19, the reported unemployment rate was 29.1% in quarter two of 2019." She adds: "The pandemic resulted in a high unemployment rate reported at 33,9% in quarter two of 2022. These are persons who were not employed and actively looking for work or had a job to start at a definite time in the future."


Community engagement projects to uplift society

In relation to addressing the scourge of poverty, the university also makes efforts through community engagement projects. In collaboration with the Unisa Women's Forum, CAES initiated a skills transfer project in Daveyton, Gauteng Province. The college was responsible for training the community in gardening, sewing, hospitality, nutrition and food safety. A certificate award ceremony for participants was held in September this year.

In collaboration with various institutions and governmental organisations, the Mothong African Heritage Project under CAES's Department of Agriculture and Animal Health aims to cultivate plant species with medicinal and cosmeceutical potential and develop a processing plant on site. Malongane explains: "The farmers and community will be cultivating the material to be supplied for manufacturing and are also involved in data collection and participation in the research trials conducted at the site." She concludes: "The site will, therefore, be developed as a commercial farm and as a research centre where different stakeholders are involved."

* By Nancy Legodi, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

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Publish date: 2022/10/31

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