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27 August 2018
Photo Barend Nagel
Arina Engelbrecht’s vision is for all Kovsies to lead holistically healthy lives.
How do you start living a healthy lifestyle? Arina Engelbrecht, a wellness specialist in the Employee Wellness Division at the University of the Free State (UFS) says it only takes a few changes. Her passion is to motivate people to live a balanced life.
Being active enables a person to live life to the full. “Aim to exercise 150 minutes a week, which equates to 30 minutes five times a week in order to experience health benefits like prevention of lifestyle illnesses, better sleeping patterns, decreasing stress or anxiety and feeling more energetic,” says Engelbrecht.
Some of the initiatives Engelbrecht and her team drive are the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge, Park Runs in Bloemfontein, and the Healthy4Life Pedometer Challenge, which encourage staff members to become more physically active. “Everything we do, think or feel is influenced by what we eat! It is therefore important to eat a balanced diet. Healthy food = quality fuel = good health = sustained energy = peak performance,” she explains.
Pedometer Challenge
In the space of eight weeks 240 staff members from all campuses walked 54 000km as part of the Pedometer Challenge. Engelbrecht and her team mobilised 53 active teams from all three campuses. Three of these teams emerged as the winners as they exceeded the target of 1 300km which is the equivalent of walking to Cape Town. In September 2018 the Challenge is going national as the North-West University competes against UFS.
Celebrating women
This Women’s Month Engelbrecht’s message to women of Kovsies is: “We must start embracing who we are and start believing in ourselves, whether it is in the workplace, in business, or at home.”
University management discuss the institution’s commitments towards Reitz colleagues
2014-03-17
Detailed report by Dr Choice Makhetha (pdf)
It has been six years since the Reitz incident happened at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Since this day the UFS has achieved great strides in restoring the dignity of the five colleagues and ensuring their financial security.
The commitment to empower these colleagues has always been a priority to the UFS and members of the senior management played an active role in helping them to establish Mamello Trading 864 CC, a cleaning company.
On Tuesday 18 March 2014, the senior management met with the five colleagues once again at the Bloemfontein Campus to reflect on what have been done to ensure that the UFS meets the obligations, as set out in the Deed of Settlement.
Future commitment towards our five colleagues were also discussed.
On Thursday 19 June 2014 Mamello Trading 864 CC will be formally launched to create an opportunity to introduce the business to the market and the public.
Prof André Keet, Director of the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice, also took the opportunity to speak about the newly established Human Rights Desk at the Institute.
Please see the attached document for a complete update on the case and agreements as noted in the Deed of Settlement.