SASSA giving back to VUT students

VUT Student Counselling and Support together with SASSA delegates embark on a poverty alleviation course for students

Wendy Ntshakala

The Student Counselling and Support (SCS) Department of the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) in collaboration with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) embarked on a poverty alleviation drive at SASSA Sebokeng on 14 March 2019 and a total of 100 needy students were reached. This is after a thorough assessment, screening and profiling conducted by the VUT Social Worker in collaboration with the South African Social Security Agency

Mr Antoni Ngoma, the team leader at the SASSA Sebokeng local office, and mr Wesley Raditsiba from SASSA worked closely with Mr Tumelo Metsing, a social worker at VUT during the poverty alleviation campaign wherein the Social Relief of Distress policy aimed at relieving the undue hardship due to lack of food will be implemented to all the identified needy student’s majority of whom are female students. The project has been running from 2015 and has added value in terms of poverty alleviation, relieving undue hardship and assisting students to focus on their studies, not their social problems.

SASSA’s project of giving back to VUT students does not only assist South African students but also those from other countries who are registered with VUT.

Mr Raditsiba said: “You can’t concentrate on an empty stomach.”