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13 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Sonia Small (Kaleidoscope Studios)
#UFSRun4MentalHealth
The #UFSRun4MentalHealth is an initiative to create awareness around mental health.
Bringing hope to the millions of South Africans suffering from mental illness, is the message the #UFSRun4MentalHealth team wants to resonate when they take on the 1 075 km distance between Bloemfontein and Stellenbosch.  

On Friday 20 September 2019, three teams of enthusiastic runners from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Organisational Development and Employee Wellness at the University of the Free State (UFS) will embark on the first UFS mental-health awareness run to Stellenbosch. Each runner will complete 9 km each day. “We will be passing on the baton of hope. There is hope, and no one is alone,” says Burneline Kaars, Head of Employee Wellness at the UFS. 

The #UFSRun4MentalHealth run will end on the campus of Stellenbosch University (SU) on 25 September 2019, with the symbolic handover of the baton of hope to a representative of the SU management. 

Team Blue

Team Blue. From the left: Jo-mari Horn, Patrick Kaars, Burneline Kaars, Riaan Bezuidenhout, George Dumisi, and Eugene Petrus.
(absent: Hendrik Blom)

#UFSRun4MentalHealth part of larger project

“This initiative is our effort to mitigate the impact of inactivity experienced by our students and staff on their productivity and mental health. The purpose is to raise awareness and motivate people to get active,” says Burneline. Through this effort, the UFS is demonstrating care for student and staff well-being. 

“Well-being is not only the responsibility of the organisation or university, but the responsibility of all of us,” says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor. “This initiative also demonstrates care – to look after one another, to take care of one another –from the organisation to our people, but also among ourselves.” 

Prof Petersen points out that the #UFSRun4MentalHealth forms part of a larger UFS project called ‘Project Caring’. He is also hopeful that the team’s effort to change the perception of mental health will encourage discussion and openness in the towns they will visit on their way to Stellenbosch.

Team Red. From the left: Arina Meyer, Nico Piedt, Brenda Coetzee, Justin Coetzee, Elna de Waal, De Wet Dimo, and Tertia de Bruin.

Team Red. From the left: Arina Meyer, Nico Piedt, Brenda Coetzee, Justin Coetzee, Elna de Waal, De Wet Dimo, and Tertia
de Bruin.

Putting care into action

“With this run to Stellenbosch, we are putting care into action,” says Susan van Jaarsveld, Senior Director, Human Resources. 
According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, 16% or about 9 million of South Africa’s adult population suffer from a mental disorder. “With this increased awareness, we hope that people will share their mental-health diagnoses and that this campaign will help to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.”  

The #UFSRun4MentalHealth also links to the mission of the UFS Department of Human Resources to create an environment not only for high performance, but for optimal performance.

The sponsors of this initiative are BestMed, Standard Bank, Shell, Annique Health and Beauty, Xerox, Bidvest Car Rental, Media24, Kloppers, New Balance, Clover, Futurelife, Mylan, Pharma Dynamics, and the SA Society of Psychiatrists. 

Team White. From the left: Thys Pretorius, Lynette van der Merwe, Leon Engelbrecht, Arina Engelbrecht, Teboho Rampheteng, Belinda Putter, and Lucas Swart.

Team White. From the left: Thys Pretorius, Lynette van der Merwe, Leon Engelbrecht, Arina Engelbrecht, Teboho Rampheteng,
Belinda Putter, and Lucas Swart.

 


News Archive

Official opening of Faculty of Health Sciences Rural Community Initiative
2017-01-01

Description: Karla Mostert Tags: Mail & Guardian, 200 Young South Africans, Candice Thikeson, Karla Mostert, Lerato Machetela, Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Thapelo Mokoatsi

Ribbon cutting, Prof van Zyl and Ms du Plessis
Venter (community member)

The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of the Free State (UFS) has, as part of its commitment to student and community development, established a student residence in the town of Trompsburg in the Kopanong Local municipality, Xhariep District municipality in the Southern Free State. The Faculty officially opened the Faculty of Health Sciences Rural Community Initiative on 14 and 15 June 2017. The memorial plaque was unveiled by Prof Gert van Zyl (Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences) and Prof Francis Petersen (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State)

The importance of the residence

The goal of the ‘Kopanang le fodise – Unite to heal’ programme is to develop a community-centered collaborative framework for sustainable, holistic healthcare and social development incorporated in the curricula of the Faculty.

Background of the project

During 2016 a total of 324 fourth-year students of the Faculty have each spend at least a week in interprofessional groups in primary healthcare facilities in the Kopanong municipality on a Community Based Education, Interprofessional Education (CBE-IPE) platform in Trompsburg and Springfontein.

To facilitate student rural placement the former Midway guesthouse currently includes seven (7) facilitator units with on suite bathrooms, two (2) fully equipped lecture facilities, a recreation room and a library with computers and internet access. The newly developed student residence has 10 apartments that can each accommodate six (6) individuals. A housemaster resides on the premises and acts as manager of the facility. All areas of the residence are Wifi covered and 24h security service is in place.

The ceremony was attend by the following partners

University of the Free State (UFS)

Rector and Vice Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Prof Francis Petersen.
Members of the UFS council, Dr Vinger and Dr Swart
Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof van Zyl.
The Head of the School of Allied Health Professions, Dr van Vuuren.
The Head of the School of Medicine, Prof Kruger.
Faculty from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Members from UFS institutional support department: ICT, Finance, Facilities management

Kopanong local municipality

Councilor Basholo, representing the Kopanong local municipality.
Kopanong local community members
Free State Department of Education (DoE)
Free State Department of Health (DoH)

Private sector partners

Mr Burgess, CEO of MDG Heath Solutions
The Mother And Child Academic Hospital (MACAH) represented by Prof Venter, head of department of Paediatrics, donated two (2) state of the art baby scales to the rural health programme.

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