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24 August 2020 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Supplied
Lebohang Masoabi believes she is a champion woman as she commits her time to nurture other champions.

Growing up with an inferiority complex has taught Lebohang Masoabi to flourish in her adult life. She credits former Vice-Chairperson of the University of the Free State’s Council, Dr Nthabeleng Rammile, as a woman who continues to inspire her. She recently won an Innovation in Learning and Teaching award during the Qwaqwa Campus Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Excellence in Learning and Teaching Awards. 

She has just completed her MCom degree in Business Management, focusing on the role of entrepreneurial education on attitudes and intentions of university students. 

Please tell us about yourself: Who you are and what you do? 

My name is Lebohang Masoabi. I am a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus. My areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, entrepreneurship and marketing.

Is there a woman who inspires you and who you would like to celebrate this Women’s Month, and why?

Dr Nthabeleng Rammile. She is intentional and unapologetic about pursuing her destiny. She is a great example of defying limitations. She constantly challenges her abilities. She oozes confidence. But above all, I love how she is passionate about the growth and development of other women, and how she has made it her life’s work to ensure that other women succeed in pursuit of their dreams. 

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in your life that have made you a better woman?

Self-esteem issues: I had to learn to love myself and believe in myself and when I overcame that, I was unstoppable.

Inferiority complex: I was always afraid to express my full potential, wondering if I am worth it compared to others in my professional and personal space. I then realised that I am not weak, I am not vulnerable, I am not a damsel in distress. The day I realised my full potential as a woman, I flourished.

 

I had to learn to love myself and believe in myself and when I overcame that, I was unstoppable.

What advice would you give to the 15-year-old you?

• You are worth more than you think.
• Not everyone is going to like you, and that is fine.
• Be brave and do what scares you.
• Be kind to yourself.
• Forgive quickly, move on quickly.
• The girls who did not like you then, want to be you now!
• Learn to breathe through the tough moments, it’s not the end of the world.

What would you say makes you a champion woman [of the UFS]?

For the past four years on our campus, I have committed my time and energy to mentor students who are in quest of their professional and personal development, some of whom have launched their careers and have become champions in their own spaces.

So, my answer to this question is that what makes me a champion woman of the UFS is the fact that I nurture other champions!

 


News Archive

Fighting the tuberculosis battle as a collective
2015-09-28



The team hard at work making South Africa a
healthier place

Tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent. More than 95% of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Despite being more prevalent among men than women, TB remains one of the top five causes of death amongst women between the ages of 15 and 44 years. While everyone is at risk for contracting TB, those most at risk include children under the age of five and the elderly. In addition, research indicates that individuals with compromised immune systems, household contacts with pulmonary TB patients, and healthcare workers are also at increased risk for contracting TB.

According to the Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Systems Research and Development (CHSR&D) at the UFS, Dr Michelle Engelbrecht, research has found that healthcare workers may be three times more likely to be infected by TB than the general population.

The unsettling fact

“Research done in health facilities in South Africa has found that nurses do not often participate in basic prevention acts, such as opening windows and wearing respirators when attending to infectious TB patients,” she explained. 

In response to this concern, CHSR&D, which operates within the Faculty of Humanities at the the University of the Free State (UFS) Bloemfontein Campus has developed a research project to investigate TB prevention and infection control in primary healthcare facilities and households in Mangaung Metropolitan.

Action to counter the statistics

A team of four researchers and eight field workers from CHSR&D are in the process of gathering baseline data from the 41 primary healthcare facilities in Mangaung. The baseline comprises a facility assessment conducted with the TB nurse, and observations at each of the facilities. Individual interviews are also conducted with community caregivers, as well as TB and general patients. Self-administered questionnaires on knowledge, attitudes, and practices about TB infection control are completed by all nurses and facility-based community caregivers.

Healthcare workers are the main focus of this research, given their increased risk of acquiring TB in healthcare settings. At clinics, interventions will be developed to improve infection control practices by both healthcare workers and patients. TB patients’ households are also visited to screen household contacts for TB. Those found to have symptoms suggesting TB infection are referred to the clinics for further assessment and treatment.

The findings of this study will serve to inform the development of an intervention to address TB prevention and infection control in primary healthcare facilities. Further funding will be sought to implement and evaluate the intervention.

Curbing future infections and subsequent deaths as a result of TB is the priority for the UFS. The cooperation and collaboration of the community, government, and sponsors will ensure that this project is a success, hence prolonging life expectancy.


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