By Azile Kraziya
Students gathered for the International Food Evening (IFE) held on Thursday 12 March at Academia Residence. The event has become a longstanding tradition on campus that continues to serve as a platform for cultural exchange and engagement. This event is aimed at celebrating cultural diversity through cuisine. Leoné Wilkinson, who is the Project Manager for the IFE, and Office Administrator for Student Life and Success within the Unit for Global Learning, said, “The international food evening has been going for about 16 years now and it happens twice a year during the first semester and second semester of the academic year. During the first semester we mostly align it with our Stellenbosch International Academic Network conference; hence there are so many international delegates.”
Wilkinson further explained that the core idea of the event is “to provide international students [with the chance] to share their cultures with local students, which also allows local students the opportunity to research and find out more about other cultures”. Upon interviewing Jakolien Punt, an Honours student in Biotechnology representing Germany and whose team secured first place at the IFE, reflected on the team’s victory, saying, “Honestly, after all the hard work and planning that went into our presentation, I would have been disappointed if we had not won something. I was quite nervous towards the end because the competition was so strong and everyone had done an incredible job. We were all incredibly proud afterwards and it was truly rewarding to see our efforts recognised and appreciated.”
Among the participants was Mary Mugala, a Master’s student in Law from Uganda, who represented her country by preparing traditional dishes such as pilau (spiced rice). Reflecting on her contribution, Mugala said the food “reminds me of home as these are common dishes in my country,” adding that the event also gave her an opportunity to “show the world what we eat in Uganda”. Through food, music, and cultural representation, the International Food Evening continues to create an environment where students can engage with diversity in a meaningful and interactive way, reinforcing the importance of inclusivity on campus.
