A group of students from South Africa and Belgium have gathered in Stellenbosch for the Beyond Borders 2026 programme.
The short academic programme is offered by IMM Graduate School and combines international learning, cultural exchange and an applied community project. It runs from Sunday 25 October to Sunday 1 November.
Nine students from UCLL University of Applied Sciences in Belgium joined local IMM Graduate School participants for the programme, which is designed to connect academic knowledge with practical experience in a South African context.
ALSO READ: Pioneering winemaker nominated in two Warrior Women categories
Funding feeds families
A central component is a fundraising case study supporting the Carmen Stevens Foundation’s food hamper initiative. The organisation was founded by award-winning winemaker Carmen Stevens in 2011, in response to hunger among school learners in disadvantaged communities.
For children who rely on school feeding the day schools close is the day the meals stop. The foundation plans 3 000 family food hampers for the summer holidays, with 2 000 funded through donations.
This leaves a shortfall of R550 000 needed by Saturday 31 October, so that the foundation can buy stock ahead of its packing day on Saturday 28 November. Each hamper costs R550 and gives a family of four to five partial food support for about two weeks.
“For children who rely on school meals, the holidays are the hard part,” says Stevens. “A hamper will not end hunger, but it gets a family through part of the holiday.”
Homework with consequences
The students will apply their marketing, communication and project management knowledge to approaching potential donors and develop support for the initiative.
They will also document donor engagement, separate confirmed donations from pledges and pending discussions, and draw up a follow-up plan with clear responsibilities and next steps.
This approach encourages accountability and gives students experience in managing relationships and reporting on progress.
“Students have to report what is confirmed and what is only a promise,” says Anisa Fielding, marketing manager at IMM Graduate School. “That is how the job works, and here they do it with real donors and a real deadline.”
Participants will be integrated in teams and investigate how local circumstances shape marketing and business decisions. The week combines academic sessions, collaborative project work and time to explore Stellenbosch.
“Our students see how marketing decisions change in a different market, and they take that home with them,” adds Ana dePlus, programme coordinator at UCLL.
Your move
Businesses and individuals who want to support the food hamper initiative can contact Deidré Vermeulen via email on npo@cswines.co.za or 079 52 62887.
Any in-kind contributions must be coordinated directly with the Carmen Stevens Foundation, which manages supplier arrangements and purchasing to secure the best available value.
Donors who want to contribute a specific product can arrange a supplier invoice made out directly to them, at the price the foundation has negotiated.
ALSO READ: Kers-kospakkies vir leerders
