NAME AND SURNAME: SIPIWE MAXEBENGULA

STUDENT NUMBER:67781284

MODULE CODE:ENN1504

ASSIGNMENT 01/ SEMESTER 1/2024

MINUTES OF THE STUDENT SUPPORT COMMITTEE AT MALUSI UNIVERSITY HELD AT THE MALUSI
UNIVERSITY.

1.1 Opening and matters arising

Members of the committee attended the meeting. The chairman welcomed all to the meeting to
discuss the University student drug abuse and addiction.

It was presented to the committee members and students that drug addiction is rife here at the Malusi
University and in our communities at large. Majority of our students perform bad academically or even
drop out from the university as a result of drug addiction. Drug abuse has become a pandemic that is
also affecting neighbouring schools. Committee members recommended that we use the Both
Recovery Centre that take In patients aged 13-68 years for free. The centre will help people who are
heavy alcoholics or addicts of crack cocaine, “whoonga” or “dagga” and “nyaope”.

1.2 Services provided by the centre.

The centre is available to people who are unemployed and homeless as well as students. The centre
operates in a 14 to 21 day stay for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, the stay is prolonged on extreme
cases. Patients are attended by doctors and social workers. The centre is free and students can go
voluntarily to seek assistance. Part of the outreach program that the centres can offer is that students
can work during long weekends and public holidays to assist with patient admissions, cleaning,
cooking, laundry as well as helping in the vegetable garden to grow vegetables to feed the patients.

1.3 Recommendations

The committee members have addressed that the student support department can provide awareness
to students by holding seminars on drug abuse where recovered addicts can share their experiences
with the students. The department pf health sciences will be invited in order to contribute in how they
can best alleviate the current situation by sharing how drug abuse destroys the physical and mental
capacity. . The committee has also recommended that we hold such seminars per term, we will remind
the student body about each seminar in our mass meetings and encourage them to be in attendance.
As a way of increasing student awareness, we also encourage former students and even those who are
still registered with the university and recovered addicts.

The committee members intend to approach the principal to allow them to address parents in
attempts to make them aware of the centres and support centres. Furthermore, there should be
thought surrounding fundraising activities which could assist in building a bigger facility which can
continue to provide this vital service for the community.

1.4 Closure

The chairperson has thanked the colleagues and students for attended if the meeting and their
valuable contribution to the meetings.

_____________________ ____________________________

Mr Dube (Chairperson) Date