???YOUTH MONTH
This Youth Month, we're celebrating students who are driving positive change on campus, in their communities and beyond. Through their leadership, compassion and commitment, they are helping to build a better future for South Africa. These profiles highlight the impact and energy of a new generation of changemakers at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU).
Thanks to the ingenuity and visionary leadership of a remarkable student, Youth Day on the SU campus will again be celebrated with a soup kitchen, where a warm and hearty meal will be served to students.
When postgraduate student Francisca Darkoh hosted her first soup kitchen, she had just 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 Foundation SA – everything from whole chickens and fresh produce to cakes and milk tarts. “I didn't even have pots that were big enough," she laughs. “So, I borrowed some, rallied a few friends, and we made it happen."
That soup kitchen, hosted mid-2024 at Russel Botman House, fed over 100 students and marked the beginning of a growing student-led movement to fight food insecurity at SU. Now operating under her food business 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 like 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. “I don't believe in giving people leftover food or things I wouldn't eat myself," she explains. “I want to serve food that's delicious and nutritious – food I'd serve to the Rector." At the soup kitchen, students don't just eat; they connect. “We play music, we laugh, we build community. That's the heart of it."
Rising from hardship
It's not only Darkoh's compassion that sets her apart, but also her extraordinary resilience. A former Stirling High School learner from East London, she arrived at SU in 2019 thanks to a hockey bursary. She decided on SU when she visited Stellenbosch during a hockey tour while still at school. “I don't even need to apply anywhere else; this is where I'm coming to," she decided after falling in love with the town.
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 for five months with sepsis following bacterial meningitis. “At first, they didn't know what was wrong with me. I was regularly doing CrossFit and I 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 says. “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 completing her master's degree, 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 attributes her tenacity and sense of purpose to the generosity of others. “I didn't get this far on my own," she insists. “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, Raydene, who supported her since matric, helping with everything from a dance dress to bedding and travel.
These experiences instilled in her a deep sense of gratitude and a philosophy of paying it forward. “It's not about being the 'main girl'. I want others to grow too and build community." She lights up when speaking about her team of volunteers who assist with the soup kitchen. “At first, they'd just follow instructions. Now they come with ideas and creative input. They're becoming leaders."
As Primaria of Russel Botman House in 2024 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 from her. “The idea is to keep it going long after I'm gone."
Working for change
While her work is widely recognised by students and staff, it hasn't been easy to formalise. “There are so many hurdles to providing food to people," Darkoh sighs. “Safety concerns and legal issues mean that the 肆客足球'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 that we've managed to channel that goodwill and positive energy into something meaningful."
Darkoh says she feels fortunate for having had the opportunities at SU to make a positive contribution. It has inspired her to continue to focus on social impact work in the 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. She has such a forgiving spirit."
Advice for others social entrepreneurs
Darkoh's advice to students who want to make a difference? 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 cautions 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."
On this Youth Day, Darkoh's story is a powerful reminder of what is possible when resilience meets compassion and Ubuntu. We honour her not only for the meals she serves, but for the future she's cooking up – one meal at a time.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
GRAPHIC: Geola Bergman
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