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03 July 2019 | Story Leonie Bolleurs
KovsiesCare - Clean Up Read More
Tsietsi Ngobese, through the Wesolve4x Cleaning My Planet Campaign, motivated citizens to collectively fill over 23 000 refuse bags to date.

The mission: To collectively fill 20 million refuse bags every Saturday with the help of 20 million people who are cleaning their own communities and our planet for an hour. The message: My planet, my responsibility.

The mission and message that the Wesolve4x Cleaning My Planet Campaign wants to convey, is based on a simple premise: Get community members to donate one hour of their time to cleaning duties every Saturday for the next 20 years until 2039. At the same time provide a continuous educational programme about waste management to the general public and to schools in order to empower them to take responsibility.

Address trash blindness


Tsietsi Ngobese, Chief Executive Officer of this initiative and BSc Actuarial Science graduate, says he understands the transformative power of education and the role it plays in transforming diverse communities. Through outreach programmes in our community and schools, we are slowly eliminating generational trash blindness. We also tackle some of the social determinants of health by encouraging healthy living conditions within our communities through good waste management and recycling. 

It is important for Tsietsi to add value to society. He believes that the Wesolve4x Generation will transform the world for the better through education and empowering all citizens.

The campaign – officially endorsed by Miss Earth South Africa, Catherine Constantinides – was launched on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus as well as the Abram Hlope Primary School in Katlehong on 4 May 2019.

“We want to promote the benefits of a clean and healthy environment for future generations,” said Tsietsi. 

Since their inception, the group has collectively filled over 23 000 refuse bags with the help of active citizens. 

Challenge accepted

When former lecturer, Jan Blomerus, once challenged his Actuarial students to protect the environment in order to decrease the mortality rate (from natural disasters because of the effect of climate change), Tsietsi accepted the challenge. “By inspiring excellence and transforming lives, the UFS plays an important role; I started to believe that I can address societal challenges in the communities I am an integral part of,” he said.

When Tsietsi saw trash piling up everywhere and children playing at illegal dumping sites, he became concerned about the health risk to society. He believes the dumping area is contaminating the air and water around the dumping site. 

“I had to be part of the solution to start cleaning up, and most importantly, educating myself and others to continuously take responsibility for our own waste and change our thinking about littering. This is a generational issue and needs a generational approach to unlearn all habits of littering,” Tsietsi pointed out. 

As part of his vision, Tsietsi plans to reduce the waste taken to landfill sites and to increase that which is taken directly from households to recycling plants. He also wants to encourage people to find creative ways of converting what has previously been wasted into something useful. “This action can encourage individuals to generate an income from waste,” he said.

Take action

Tsietsi invites all members of the Mangaung community to get involved in the project. This is your opportunity to make a difference on Mandela Day. You can;
provide sponsorship for educational content on effective waste management, economic opportunities, and health issues to the general public and to schools;
provide refuse bags, plastic gloves or hand-washing soap (used by community members in every clean-up session);
join in a collective effort to clean your community by meeting at designated schools or any designated community assembly point on a Saturday (contact 011 307 2005 or info@wesolve4x.com for more information).


News Archive

Golden Key International Honour Society swells it ranks with Kovsie students
2013-08-28

 

Golden Key honorary member, Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, with Stefan Gericke, Chapter Relations Officer of Golden Key International Honour Society.
Photo: Sonia Small
28 August 2013

Kovsie students continue to swell the ranks of the world’s biggest academic honour society, the Golden Key International Honour Society, with more than 500 students from the university becoming new members.

The UFS chapter of the society – who only welcomes the top 15% of academic students at the university – inducted the new members at a ceremony held on Saturday 24 August 2013 on the Bloemfontein Campus.

In addition, the organisation also pays recognition to those who act as role models to these students. Thus, the organisation also inducted Profs Odireleng Ntwaeaborwa, Dave Lubbe, Dennis Francis, Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and executive chairperson of Richmark, Gavin Varejes as honorary members.

Prof Dave Lubbe delivered the keynote speech entitled “From intellectual leader to real leader – few ideas”, structuring his talk around five key points: wisdom, basics, over specialization, ethnical leadership and courage.

“The society aims to make students realise their potential and create a network for excelling students,” said Mbavhalelo Rammbwa; Golden Key UFS Chapter president.

Parents from as far as Limpopo came to show appreciation for their children’s dedication to their studies. “I am really happy not only for my daughter, but for every single student who has been inaugurated to the society this morning for their discipline, hard work and the dedication they show their studies. I thank Prof Jonathan Jansen, the lectures and academics for inspiring our children to study and make the most of the opportunity which we didn’t have,” said Mpho Mohoje, a parent of one of the students at the induction.

Another feather in the university's cap is the fact that UFS registrar, Dr Derek Swemmer is not only co-advisor of the chapter, but also the chairperson of the society’s international governing body.

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