Page 65 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

and UNIZULU managed the fee accounts of these individual students without submitting claims for individual students to the Department. UNIZULU will provide these fee gap bursaries each year until all students in the cohort (first year of registration before 2018) have exited the University. This applied to virtually all students at the time and ensured that the increases had a very limited impact on UNIZULU students.
The ‘No Poverty and Zero Hunger’ project was also launched in 2020 in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture, which is aimed at improving household income potential through organised agriculture. Other initiatives during the year include a food security project, sustainable development and environmental conservation, and an agro-processing and value-adding project for improved food security. The latter resulted in an MoU with Siyazisiza Trust, which focuses on local communities (smallholder farmers, especially those in indigenous crops) and local chefs on developing new recipes and innovative food products using various crops, legumes, leafy vegetables and tubers.
Fundraising is further considered an important source of third-stream income and in 2019 the University began with the establishment of an advancement office, the aim being to provide as much support to students as possible.
Sustainable Goal 2 – Zero Hunger
Food insecurity among students is a reality. Many students do not have the means to pay for meals. UNIZULU has ensured that all service providers provide food at affordable prices. In many instances, UNIZULU also contributes to
the nutritional needs of its students. The University extends its effort to alleviate hunger by supporting local communities through collaborative efforts among the Department of Agriculture’s academic staff, Community Engagement Office and Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) (industry partner) in support of community gardens at Esikhaleni. This effort is augmented by several initiatives in the Consumer Sciences Department in the promotion and enhancement of indigenous foods as evidenced in goal 1 above. Support is also provided to local women by UNIZULU and stakeholder partners (Owen Sithole College of Agriculture (OSCA) and Biowatch, through stokvel initiatives to open economic opportunities to women to diversify and maximise their livelihood options.
Sustainable Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being
Other social factors impacting the University include HIV/AIDS and other illnesses and difficulties experienced in adjusting to the University’s environment (which may affect staff as well as students). Good health and well-being are
core to UNIZULU. Wellness days are held annually and are aimed at both staff and students. The University’s Campus Clinic serves both staff and students. With exceptional partnerships with the Department of Health and the King Cetshwayo DoH, UNIZULU provides rehabilitative services, HIV/AIDS services, TB, STIs and reproductive health services. University ambulances enable the University to provide a swift response to health alerts. Medications are provided free of charge. HEAIDS contributes significantly to UNIZULU’s health programmes.
UNIZULU, through the Nursing Sciences Department, manages projects aimed at the enhancement of the health and well-being of community members. One such project is on Diabetic Mellitus, which focuses on newly diagnosed patients and ultimately aims to design customised and personalised mechanisms to reverse the condition. Other projects include the development of nutraceuticals/ phytopharmaceutical products for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and dyslipidaemia, using indigenous African herbal plants; and the use of medicinal plants to investigate their potential use in therapeutics.
UNIZULU also developed a COVID-19 infection prevention and control plan and guidelines, which were shared with staff and students. Daily COVID-19 screening records were kept in line with regulations. All guidance and counselling and support sessions were managed virtually. UNIZULU clinical nurse practitioners were trained by the Department of Health King Cetshwayo District for testing and screening for COVID-19 following DoH’s protocols. UNIZULU established a COVID-19 Hotline that enabled the University community to ask and receive appropriate information on COVID-19.
An approved Integrated Human Resources Framework was also implemented, which ensures transactional efficiency, improved recruitment and retention, institutionalised performance management culture and an increased focus on staff well-being and development.
2 ZERO HUNGER
3 GOOD HEALTH ANDWELL-BEING
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UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ANNUAL REPORT 2020