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#Mokete a colourful celebration of language and multiculturalism

20 September 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Charl Devenish

The first Kovsies Multilingual Mokete was a celebration of language and culture; it is a commitment by the University of the Free State (UFS) to nurture an attitude of inclusiveness and acceptance on all three of its campuses. Hosted on the Bloemfontein Campus on Wednesday 18 September 2019, the mokete was a hype of activity with drama, poetry, music, dance, and scrumptious cultural cuisine.

“This initiative was coordinated to promote and celebrate all our regional languages, but also important – our regional cultures.” This was the words of Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, on opening the first Kovsies Multilingual Mokete.

The Mokete stage came alive with the impeccable voices of our students and staff as they personified multilingualism through the spoken word in the form of poems, the drama production, Dogg’s Hamlet in the Scaena, praise songs, and dance. A mural featuring individual artworks was also on display during the mokete, as well as a screening of the movie, The Visitor.

The Mokete was concluded by Simple Stories, a band of former Kovsie students, with Early B as the main act. The People’s Choice Award winner of the day was Soetbravado, winners of the UFS SingOff competition.

“I think the inaugural Multilanguage festival is full of potential. Tolerance and understanding of different cultures are what I see here. I think it’s amazing and I would recommend the UFS to continue with it,” says Jon-Dylon Petersen, former SRC member and final-year Quantity Surveying and Construction Management student.

Kovsies First Multilingual Mokete

The traditional outfits made for a colourful Mokete. Photo:Charl Devenish

Mokete part of UFS project to foster sense of belonging

The mokete is furthermore presented in support of the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) work streams on Teaching and Learning, Student and Staff Experience, and the Multi-Campus Model. “As a university, we are proud of the many languages and cultures which form part of this university. It creates a level of diversity and it is through diversity that we can build strength within the university,” says Prof Petersen.

This initiative of multilingualism is part of the university’s language policy, which promotes a sense of belonging and acceptance among people. “We want to create opportunities and platforms and campuses where everyone should feel welcome, and to create the ability for each culture and language group to also learn from one another.”

The ultimate goal is to use the multilingual initiatives to prepare our students for the multilingual and multicultural world, but also to stay connected to our own heritage and background.

The play Dogg's Hamlet was showcased in the Scaena Theatre during the Mokete. Photo: Charl Devenish

Mokete should become an annual event

The reaction to the mokete was overwhelmingly positive and it was well received in the Kovsie community. “It’s a beautiful experience to see how academics can come to a university and showcase not only different languages, but different cultures; it’s something which should continue in the spirit of ubuntu and diversity, and can maybe become a national festival,” says Almondreaux Williams, third-year LLB student.

Not only was the mokete a celebration of multilingualism at the UFS; it was also a platform to express different cultures in the form of traditional attire.

''It’s getting people together. All of us, all the cultural groups are here together. The performances were awesome,” says Sibongile Witbooi, a third-year Geology student and Residence Committee member for Culture at Akasia residence.

Multilingual Mokete

Authentic South African cuisine was on the menu for the day. Moketers could enjoy array of flavours from bobotie and rice to
chesanyama and pap. Photo: Charl Devenish

St Michaels School for Girls' Marimba band

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor.

Staff member in a traditional Zulu woman attire

Drummers entertained the Mokete crowds throughout the day.

News Archive

The solution to student food insecurity is a holistic approach

2017-02-10

Description: Dietetics read more Tags: Dietetics read more

Dr Louise van den Berg from the Department of
Nutrition and Dietetics says the University of the Free State
is taking steps to teach students how to budget and make
them aware how important food nutrition is.
Photo: Pixabay

Research at the University of the Free State (UFS) has indicated that nearly 60% of students are victims of food insecurity and suffer from hunger most of the time. The research by the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences shows that a further 25% are food insecure but are not hungry most of the time.

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dr Louise van den Berg, says food insecurity is common among student populations across the world. However, local research shows that it is almost double that of tertiary institutions in developed countries.

Food insecurity among students caught many people off-guard
Dr Van den Berg says in South Africa nobody had really looked at the problem until recently “It seems student food insecurity has caught many people off-guard.” She says people tend to think of tertiary students as a privileged group.

The research has now indicated how deep the problem really is on campus. The students that most likely go hungry are single, male, black or coloured, and are generally first-generation students.

They are also mostly undergraduates, those paying their studies from non-bank loans or bursary means, those not living with their parents or guardians or those that need to support somebody else financially.

The results further indicate that those that are likely to suffer from hunger seldom or never have enough money for food but have to borrow money for food, have to ask for food, sell items to get food or steal food.

“A healthy student is a
successful student.”

Bursary money send back home for parents to survive
Dr Van den Berg agrees that one of the main reasons for the situation is economic stress. Research has shown students rarely spend money on food when resources are scarce. Furthermore, parents of students studying with bursaries are not always able to fully support them on campus. Some students send bursary money back home for their parents to survive.

She says other factors that contribute to campus food insecurity are that all over the world universities have terminated catered food halls due to high costs. “To a large extent this has created a food desert for students and now they need to look after themselves.”

To throw money at the problem does not seem to be the answer.

Students are food-uncertain beings
The research indicates that young people on campus do not know where to buy food, much less the correct, nutritional food they need. Dr Van den Berg says most universities are now aware of the problem and have been taking steps. This includes teaching students how to budget and making them aware how important nutrition is for their success and their responsibility for themselves.

Universities are also looking at private funding for food aid and food schemes. Dr Van den Berg says other solutions are the restructuring of bursary fees, student self-help initiatives and food gardens.

The Faculty of Health Sciences is taking the initiative to manage a food blog on the UFS website. It will also use other social media platforms to post food-preparation videos and recipes for students.

Dr Van den Berg says it is important to grow the 15.6% group of students who indicated they are food secure because a healthy student is a successful student.

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