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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

UFS in forefront with ASGI-SA initiative
2006-05-10

At the conceptualisation colloquium and stakeholder dialogue were from the left Dr Aldo Stroebel (senior researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate), Dr Edith Vries (acting Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Development Trust) and Prof Frans Swanepoel (Director: UFS Research Development Directorate).

UFS in forefront with ASGI-SA initiative

Two staff members of the University of the Free State (UFS) have been appointed as members of the advisory board of the national programme for the creation of small enterprises and jobs in the second economy.  This programme forms part of government’s Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGI-SA).

Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director of the UFS Research Development Directorate and Dr Aldo Stroebel, senior researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate, are working with a team of experts from the UFS on a draft implementation strategy for the national programme.  Both Prof Swanepoel and Dr Stroebel are also associated to the UFS Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
 
“The strategy is being developed in collaboration with institutions like the Independent Development Trust, the Department of Agriculture, the National Development Agency and the Department of Trade and Industry,” says Prof  Swanepoel.  

The other team members of the UFS are Prof Basie Wessels, Director of the  Mangaung-University Community Partnership Programme (MUCPP) and Mr  Benedict Mokoena, project manager at the MUCPP.

Dr Stroebel was also member of the organising committee of a conceptualisation colloquium and stakeholder dialogue that was recently presented in Johannesburg.  The conference was attended by more than 400 delegates from government departments, higher-education institutions and civil society, including Dr Kobus Laubscher, member of the UFS Council.

The conference was facilitated by Ms Vuyo Mahlati, previously from the WK Kellogg Foundation’s Africa programme and opened by Ms Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs.   

“The colloquium formed the basis of an induction workshop during which a group of 150 individuals (50 teams of three) from all nine provinces, identified to initiate the implementation of the national programme, was trained and orientated towards an induction manual in collaboration with Hand-in-Hand, an Indian counterpart,” says Prof Swanepoel.

Dr Stroebel and Mr Benedict Mokoena formed part of the team to conceptualise and finalise this training manual.  The induction training includes a case study of a successful community self-help partnership model, namely the MUCPP at the UFS. Prof Wessels and Mr Mokoena are both playing a leading role in the further development of subsequent training initiatives throughout South Africa, in partnership with the relevant provincial departments.

“The involvement of the UFS in the programme is a compliment to us.  It reflects the value government sees in the use of academics and experts in the management of the ASGI-SA initiative.  It is also an indication of one of the aims of the UFS to play a role in South Africa and Africa and in the transformation and change that is taking place in our country,” says Prof Swanepoel.  

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 May 2006

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