Abstract
This study explored the assumptions underpinning a university meal provision programme, addressing the gap in the literature on the causes and effects of student food insecurity. The research was informed by the call within the field of psychology to examine the individuals and systems that contribute to the perpetuation of poverty and social injustice in low-income countries. The study employed a transformative paradigm blended with liberation psychology. The transformative paradigm’s focus on social justice, prioritised the voices of marginalised groups, while liberation psychology examined the structures maintaining oppression, shifting the focus from the psychological effects of phenomena such as food insecurity to interventions through the lens of marginalised communities. This study drew from qualitative methods, gathering data through 15 in-depth interviews with 11 student beneficiaries of the university’s meal provision programme and four management officials who managed it. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that while both management and students believed food was a necessity, the implementation of the meal provision programme was prohibitively expensive. Students held the assumption that food is a right and it is their responsibility to complain about the quality food. Students, driven by hunger and poverty, joined the programme but were dissatisfied with the food quality, long queues, and repetitive menus. They suggested revamping the programme to serve food throughout the day or incorporating it into the student centre with subsidies. Future research should consider quantitative studies to determine the impact of meal provision programmes on student wellbeing and academic performance.
Keywords: Food security, food insecurity, meal provision programme, poverty, university.