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24 July 2018 Photo Charl Devenish
Office dynamo obtains masters in reconciliation- nathlene van wyk
Nathlene van Wyk, Office Manager for the Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, at the Winter Graduations in Bloemfontein.
Nathlene van Wyk hails from the rural town of Douglas in the Northern Cape, but this dynamic Office Manager for the Dean: Faculty of Theology and Religion has a knack with people, having obtained her undergraduate and honours degrees in Industrial Psychology. At a graduation ceremony held on 28 June 2018 at the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS), Nathlene also received her Master’s Degree in Reconciliation and Social Cohesion.

Devoted mother, avid student
Nathlene credits her success to the support system she had within her family. She says: “I would never have been able to complete this degree without the support of my husband, Feris. I spent my Saturdays and Sundays in the office, busy writing and doing assignments while he looked after our two daughters, aged three and five, and made sure everything at home ran smoothly.”

In addition, Nathlene experienced her mother’s loving support. She says: “I have much to be grateful for towards my mom, Maureen Morolong. As a single mother, she went to great lengths to ensure that I gained a good education. On days that things were especially difficult, her prayers and encouragement carried me through. She often repeated the saying: ‘It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.’ This kept me motivated when the days seemed too short and discouragement set in.”

Brimming with pride
Prof Fanie Snyman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, says of Nathlene’s achievement: “I am immensely proud of Nathlene. To study for a master’s degree while keeping up with a demanding position at the faculty, as well as the responsibilities of being a wife and mother is not easy. The university at large and the faculty in particular are still in a process of transformation and I think the research Nathlene did will benefit us in our efforts to transform the university.”

Nathlene says: “I always had an interest in social and political issues. With continued protest, interracial conflict, inequality and poverty, it became clear to me that 23 years after the dawn of democracy, our country is still very much battling to rid itself of the traumatic legacies of apartheid. For me, this is why the whole notion of reconciliation needs to be rethought and re-evaluated. Completing this degree allowed me to do just that: To critically evaluate our current state of affairs while applying theoretical frameworks that can help us to explain and understand our society better.”

News Archive

The state of HIV/AIDS at the UFS
2010-05-11

“The University of the Free State (UFS) remains concerned about the threat of HIV/AIDS and will not become complacent in its efforts to combat HIV/AIDS by preventing new infections”, states Ms Estelle Heideman, Manager of the Kovsies HIV/AIDS Centre at the UFS.

She was responding to the results of a study that was done at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 2008. The survey was initiated by Higher Education AIDS (HEAIDS) to establish the knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and practices (KABP) related to HIV and AIDS and to measure the HIV prevalence levels among staff and students. The primary aim of this research was to develop estimates for the sector.

The study populations consisted of students and employees from 21 HEIs in South Africa where contact teaching occurs. For the purpose of the cross-sectional study an ‘anonymous HIV survey with informed consent’ was used. The study comprised an HIV prevalence study, KABP survey, a qualitative study, and a risk assessment.

Each HEI was stratified by campus and faculty, whereupon clusters of students and staff were randomly selected. Self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain demographic, socio-economic and behavioural data. The HIV status of participants was determined by laboratory testing of dry blood spots obtained by finger pricks. The qualitative study consisted of focus group discussions and key informant interviews at each HEI.

Ethical approval was provided by the UFS Ethics Committee. Participation in all research was voluntary and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Fieldwork for the study was conducted between September 2008 and February 2009.

A total of 1 004 people participated at the UFS, including the Main and the Qwaqwa campuses, comprising 659 students, 85 academic staff and 256 administration/service staff. The overall response rate was 75,6%.

The main findings of the study were:

HIV prevalence among students was 3,5%, 0% among academics, 1,3% among administrative staff, and 12,4% among service staff. “This might not be a true reflection of the actual prevalence of HIV at the UFS, as the sample was relatively small,” said Heideman. However, she went on to say that if we really want to show our commitment towards fighting this disease at our institution a number of problem areas should be addressed:

  • Around half of all students under the age of 20 have had sex before and this increased to almost three-quarters of students older than 20.

     
  • The majority of staff and a third of students had ever been tested for HIV.

     
  • More than 50% of students drink more than once per week and 44% of students reported being drunk in the past month. Qualitative data suggests that binge drinking over weekends and at campus ‘bashes’ is an area of concern.

Recommendations of the study:

  • Emphasis should be on increased knowledge of sexual risk behaviours, in particular those involving a high turnover of sexual partners and multiple sexual partnerships. Among students, emphasis should further be placed on staying HIV negative throughout university study.

     
  • The distribution of condoms on all campuses should be expanded, systematised and monitored. If resistance is encountered, attempts should be made to engage and educate dissenting institutional members about the importance of condom use in HIV prevention.

     
  • The relationship between alcohol misuse and pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV and AIDS needs to be made known, and there should be a drive to curb high levels of student drinking, promote non-alcohol oriented forms of recreation, and improve regulation of alcohol consumption at university-sponsored “bashes”.

     
  • There is need to reach out to students and staff who have undergone HIV testing and who know their HIV status, but do not access or benefit from support services. Because many HIV-positive students and staff are not receiving any kind of support, resources should be directed towards the development of HIV care services, including support groups.

Says Heideman, “If we really want to prove that we are serious about an HIV/AIDS-free campus, these results are a good starting point. It definitely provides us with a strong basis from which to work.” Since the study was done in 2008 the UFS has committed itself to a more comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS. The current proposed ‘HIV/AIDS Institutional response and strategic plan’, builds and expands on work that has been done before, the lessons learned from previous interventions, and a thorough study of good practices at other universities.

Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
10 May 2010

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