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4.5.7.
Wits Citizenship and Community Outreach (WCCO)
The WCCO’s mission is to enrich learning through preparing students to be active global citizens by engaging them in service activities that enhance the quality of life for both others and themselves. Student leaders are an integral part to the success of community outreach programmes. Students take on leadership roles for all of the service and operational functions as volunteers. The Covid-19 pandemic restricted student engagement with surrounding communities. Much of the work done during the year focussed on supporting students to ensure that the student gained the necessary resources to remain successful academically and personally while adjusting to online learning during the lockdown. The WCCO helped by assessing student needs for laptops as some students were without the necessary resources for the online programme. The WCCO played an instrumental role in coordinating the distribution of food through NGO’s, churches and through the Wits Food Bank to students in need of food during the Covid-19 lockdown. Students residing in the greater Johannesburg area who sought assistance were connected to various organisations who were involved in providing Covid-19 food relief. The Wits Food Bank re-opened in September and food parcels were delivered to most of the student residential facilities in the university precinct. The WCCO assisted in excess of 1 000 students with food parcels over a four-month period during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the WCCO also administered the Beit Trust Hardship Fund, which supports international students from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia with funding for hardship with travel expenses and food. Seventy-six students were assisted with an amount of R4 874.93 each, to help them with basic needs. Furthermore, the WCCO also coordinated the accommodation of students who experienced complex, hardship, and/or unforeseen circumstances, by arranging for University sponsored accommodation, individualised assistance and in some cases tailored interventions. Overall, the WCCO is dedicated to student success and well-being by identifying concerns, addressing those concerns with students, and referring them to campus and community resources.
