‘Stars Don’t Compete, they Shine Where They Stand and they use their light to light the way for others to follow’
– Nolwazi Tshikala, Senior HR Manager, DHL Express South Africa and Rising Star judge
What is the Rising Star Movement For Good?
Rising Star, and its sister programme GradStar, have been recognising the country’s most talented young people for the past decade. With a pedigree in talent, we are calling on you to join us to collectively contribute to ending student hunger.
Why?
Hunger is an often overlooked, but very real, challenge faced by a significant number of students at universities and colleges in South Africa. According to a 2019 study by Van den Berg and Raubenheimer, up to 30% of tertiary students in South Africa experience food insecurity, which severely impacts their ability to focus on studies, complete their coursework, and perform to their full academic potential
Another study conducted by the University of the Free State in 2018 found that students who are food insecure are more likely to experience higher levels of stress, depression and anxiety, and they are also at greater risk of dropping out. Despite being enrolled in higher education, many students struggle to afford basic necessities like food, even after covering tuition, accommodation, and textbooks.
As you can imagine, hunger compromises not only their health but their academic success and future careers. No student should have to make the choice between attending a lecture and going hungry.