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22 May 2018 Photo Supplied
Gosego Moroka recipient of the 2017 Abe Bailey Travel Bursary
Gosego Moroka, recipient of the 2017 Abe Bailey Travel Bursary.
Gosego Moroka, who employs an epitome of un-conventionalism towards his preferred tastes in life, represented the University of the Free State (UFS) on the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary tour in the UK in December 2017. He, alongside 16 other candidates from various tertiary institutions in South Africa, took heed of this opportunity of a lifetime.

The Abe Bailey Trust is a prestigious bursary awarded to young South Africans that focuses on leadership development. Trustees award bursaries to persons with a strong academic record who have shown exceptional qualities of leadership and service to their designated tertiary institutions. “I am someone who is ultracompetitive, and I always look to improve and challenge myself,” said final-year LLB Law student and 2017 UFS-Abe Bailey candidate, Gosego.

Gosego has represented the UFS in Amsterdam, in collaboration with the F1 Leadership for Change programme. He also formed part of the Global Leadership Summit, the University Scholars Leadership Symposium at the United Nations in Bangkok, Thailand, and served as the Community Service Director for the Golden Key – UFS Chapter, and developed and led the Mandela Day Community Service Project. 

Gosego’s tour with fellow bursary holders kicked off in Cape Town, where they visited Robben Island. They then travelled to Ethiopia, and visited the African Union, which he described as “state of the art.” Their next destination saw them in London where he visited the Houses of Parliament, as well as Westminster Abbey. Gosego attended plays including Matilda, and The Lion King, which he deemed culturally significant. The city of Bath, however, stood out as the highlight of his trip. He described it as the most exquisite place on earth. Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace was also on their list of adventures. The group then travelled to Scotland where they toured Edinburgh, which Gosego described as one of the coldest places he had ever visited.

Gosego encourages students to be as genuine as possible when applying for the award. He also added that a big part of success as an individual results from who you surround yourself with. He further urges aspiring ‘Abes’ to mix with people who affirm their dreams.

News Archive

Centre to enhance excellence in agriculture
2008-05-09

 

At the launch of the Centre for Excellence were, from the left, front: Ms Lesego Sejosengoe, Manager: Indigenous Food, Mangaung-University Community Partnership Project (MUCPP), Ms Kefuoe Mohapeloa, Deputy Director: national Department of Agriculture; back: Mr Garfield Whitebooi, Assistant Director: national Department of Agriculture, Dr Wimpie Nell, Director: Centre for Agricultural Management at the UFS, and Mr Petso Mokhatla, from the Centre for Agricultural Management and co-ordinator of the Excellence Model.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

UFS centre to enhance excellence in agriculture

The national Department of Agriculture (DoA) appointed the Centre for Agricultural Management within the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State (UFS) as the centre of excellence to roll out the excellence model for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME’s) for farmers in the Free State.

The centre was launched this week on the university’s Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The excellence model, which is used worldwide, was adapted by the Department of Trade and Industry as an SMME Excellence Model. The DoA then adapted it for agricultural purposes.

“The excellence model aims to assist farmers in identifying gaps in business skills. These gaps will be addressed by means of short courses. It will help to close the gap between the 1st and 4th economy,” said Dr Wimpie Nell, Director of the Centre for Agricultural Management at the UFS.

The UFS – as co-ordinator of the SMME Excellence Model – the DoA, the private sector, municipalities, small enterprise development agencies, and non-governmental organisations will be working together to enhance excellence in agricultural businesses in the Free State.

The benefit of the model is that it changes the mindset of emerging farmers to see agriculture as a business and not as a way of living. Dr Nell said: “We also want to create a culture of competitiveness and sustainability amongst emerging farmers.”

“The Free State is the second province where the model has been implemented. Another four provinces will follow later this year. Altogether 23 officers from the DoA, NGO’s and private sector have already been trained as facilitators by the Centre of Excellence at the UFS,” said Dr Nell.

The facilitator training takes place during four contact sessions, which includes farm visits where facilitators get the opportunity to practically apply what they have learnt. On completion of the training facilitators use the excellence model to evaluate farming businesses and identify which skills (such as financial skills, entrepreneurship, etc.) the farmers need.

The co-ordinator from the Centre of Excellence, Mr Petso Mokhatla, will monitor the facilitators by visiting these farmers to establish the effectiveness of the implementation of the model. Facilitators must also report back to the centre on the progress of the farmers. This is an ongoing process where evaluation will be followed up by training and re-evaluation to ensure that successful establishment of emerging farmers has been achieved.

According to Ms Kefuoe Mohapeloa, Deputy Director from the national Department of Agriculture, one of the aims of government is to redistribute five million hectare of land (480 settled people per month) to previously disadvantaged individuals before 2010. The department also wants to increase black entrepreneurship in rural areas by 10% this year, increase food security by utilising scarce resources by 10%, and increase exports by black farmers by 10%.

“To fulfill these objectives it is very important for emerging farmers to get equipped with the necessary business skills. The UFS was a suitable candidate for this partnership because of its presence in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA). With the Jobs for Growth programme, ASGISA is an important extension to the Centre of Excellence and plays a major role in the implementation of the model to improve value-chain management,” said Ms Mohapeloa.

Twenty facilitators will receive training in June and another 20 in October this year. “The more facilitators we can train, the more farmers will benefit from the model,” said Dr Nell.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
8 May 2008

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