Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

#WomenOfKovsies: Being a woman is being resilient – Esihle Mhluzi

01 September 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa

“I was determined to be more than just ‘the girl on crutches’; I wanted my brilliance to speak for itself,” said Mhluzi in response to the question, “What inspires you?”

As part of its #WomenOfKovsies campaign for 2019, which profiles inspiring women on our three campuses, the UFS celebrates LLB Law student, Esihle Mhluzi. She has served on a few SRC executive committees, UFS women empowerment organisations, and is also the Chairperson of the Universal Access Council for 2019.

Mhluzi says she was ‘graced’ with a physical impairment at the age of 10. She uses the word ‘grace’, because she appreciates what it means for the world and for women today to be in a body like hers. She also recently started pursuing a career in modelling, forming part of the top five of Miss Capable SA, and is currently one of the ﬁnalists for Face of Free State Fashion Week 2019.

Mhluzi explains that her decision to pursue modelling was propelled by her rationale to inﬁltrate spaces that were not necessarily designed for girls who ‘looked’ like her. She found that society seldom embraces and ‘accepts’ young women of her calibre on prestigious modelling platforms. Her mission is to ensure that she becomes the voice for the many women she represents. “With my additional modelling career path, I envisage us – women – running towards victory hand in hand,” said Mhluzi.

For her, being a woman means “being empty of yourself in order to create a better life for your fellow sister”. She believes a woman’s purpose is to extend grace and create safe spaces for each other to exist, heal, overcome, and conquer the world together, being in control of your narrative, and starving the noise. “Being a woman means having the audacity to be unapologetic in your brilliance,” she enthuses.

Mhluzi, who describes herself as ‘multifaceted’, believes that Women’s Month should be celebrated in order to pay homage to the phenomenal women who went before us. She highlights the importance of picking up where they left off.

“I look forward to the day when being a woman simply means BEING.”

News Archive

Interpreting implemented at UFS residences

2007-10-12

The University of the Free State (UFS) has begun to implement interpreting services at student residence meetings on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein, as part of the management of diversity and the racial integration of its residences.

As a pilot project, the interpreting services are being offered since the third term at Emily Hobhouse and Roosmaryn ladies residences, where a significant racial diversity already is present. From next year this service will be extended to all the student residences on the Main Campus.

The interpreting project is being managed by the Department of Afro-asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice at the UFS.

“Students in training at the Department of Afro-asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice and senior interpreters from the UFS are currently interpreting during residence meetings,” said Prof. Jackie Naudé, Departmental Chairperson of the UFS’s Department of Afro-asiatic Studies, Sign Language and Language Practice.

“Students in these residences are given the opportunity to be trained to interpret during their residence meetings. Four students from each hostel are being trained as interpreters,” said Prof. Naudé.

According to Prof. Naudé both residences have meetings that take place on a Monday evening at 22:00. Interpreting is also provided at the first-year students’ meetings at Emily Hobhouse on Tuesday evenings.

The interpreters experience the interpreting at the residences as positively and they experience that students often do utilise this service. At Roosmaryn 16-18 students are utilising the interpreting service, while at Emily Hobhouse approximately 18 students are utilising the service.

“The interpreting service definitely contributes to the enhancement of communication during residence meetings. Students can exactly follow what is happening during the meetings. In the past a residences like Emily Hobhouse tried to repeat everything in English, which extended the meetings,” Prof. Naudé said.

With the envisaged extension of interpreting services in hostel meetings to all the hostels on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein, there is a need for interpreters as these meetings will take place simultaneously. Through this initiative, exiting new opportunities are created for aspiring interpreters. The training takes place under leadership of Prof. Annelie Lotriet who holds the ATKV Chair in Interpreting in the department.

Aspiring candidates can contact Mr Cobus Snyman, Manager of the UFS’s interpreting projects at 051 401 9005 in connection with the selection criteria for interpreters.

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
14 October 2007

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept