SU student helps feeds classmates

When Francisca Darkoh, a postgraduate student at Stellenbosch University (SU), hosted her first soup kitchen, she only had two bags of flour and a dream to feed vetkoek to about 20 hungry students.

The next thing she knew, she was collecting a bakkie-load of donated food from Greenpeace SA, everything from whole chickens and fresh produce to cakes and milk tarts. “I didn’t even have pots that were big enough,” she recalled. “So, I borrowed some, rallied a few friends and we made it happen.”

That soup kitchen, hosted at Russel Botman House mid last year, fed more than 100 students and marked the beginning of a growing student-led movement to fight food insecurity at SU.

Now operating under the trademark FOODBYFRANNIDEE and, in collaboration with the Listen, Live and Learn (LLL) programme, Darkoh leads a regular soup kitchen serving hundreds of meals during critical periods such as exam time and registration, when students often run out of money or cannot afford to travel home.

For Darkoh, a Mandela Rhodes scholar who is pursuing an MSc in physiological sciences, it’s a labour of love, fostering dignity and building community.

Rising from hardship

It’s not only Darkoh’s compassion that sets her apart, but also her extraordinary resilience. She arrived at SU thanks to a hockey bursary in 2019.

As a Matie she quickly proved herself both academically and socially, majoring in biochemistry and physiology, and holding several residence leadership roles. But in 2022 Darkoh suffered a shocking setback.

During her honours year she was hospitalised with sepsis for five months, following bacterial meningitis. “At first they didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was regularly doing CrossFit, and was healthy and active. Suddenly I was in high care at Tygerberg Hospital with my organs shutting down.”

She lost parts of her feet to dry gangrene and underwent six surgeries, including a partial foot amputation.

“I was in a wheelchair for nearly a year,” she said. “It was scary. The pain was intense. But I had so much support from friends, lecturers and doctors. My nurse even came to my graduation.”

Now doing her masters, Darkoh is researching blood-based diagnostics for sepsis. She also continues to manage her mobility, attending weekly appointments with a biokineticist and adapting her lifestyle to cope with physical limitations. “I just take it step by step. Literally.”

A mission born from gratitude

Darkoh, a former Stirling High School learner from East London, attributes her tenacity and sense of purpose to the generosity of others. “I didn’t get this far on my own,” she insisted.

“I’ve been helped by really wonderful people who supported me through thick and thin. From my mom, Ruth, who raised us alone after my father left when I was six, to teachers, friends, even strangers.”

One such person is a former teacher who supported her since matric, helping with everything from a dance dress to bedding and travel.

As Primaria of Russel Botman House last year and now an intern in the LLL programme, Darkoh is also intentional about succession. She’s relieved that her friend Nothando Ndlovu, a social work student who has been cooking up a storm with her from the start, will take over the soup kitchen project.

Working for change

While her work is widely recognised by SU students and staff, it hasn’t been easy to formalise. “There are so many hurdles to providing food to people,” Darkoh said. “Safety concerns and legal issues mean that the university’s official structures can’t be involved directly and that makes it tricky.”

She’s implemented her own risk measures such as indemnity and consent forms for photos, but still dreams of institutionalising the soup kitchen project. “There are so many people who want to donate or contribute through volunteering. I’m just grateful we’ve managed to channel that goodwill and positive energy into something meaningful.”

Darkoh said she felt fortunate for having embraced the opportunity to make a positive contribution while at SU. It has inspired her to continue to focus on social-impact work in future. “My main inspiration to work hard and to become successful is to create a better life for my family and support my mother. I want to make her life easier, because after everything she’s been through, she deserves to rest. My mom will forever be my role-model and hero. She’s never given up andhas such a forgiving spirit.”

Darkoh’s advice to students who want to make a difference is to start small. “You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. Small actions matter. And if you don’t fit into someone else’s box, make your own. You’ll find your own niche.”

She also cautioned against waiting for perfect conditions. “You’ll never feel ready; just start. You’ll learn by doing. by making mistakes, by trusting the wrong people, by falling and getting up again.”