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UFS partners with local radio stations to address community issues

08 December 2020 | Story Dikgapane Makhetha | Photo Supplied

In response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Directorate: Community Engagement (CE) has initiated an innovative platform on which students can continue to engage with university community partners, and at the same time be assessed for their service-learning and community engagement projects.

The E-Engagement approach also meets the University of the Free State’s (UFS) strategic mandate to be a caring, responsive, and engaged university. Coordinated by the UFS CE office, academic staff and students are scheduled to engage with the community partners through radio broadcasts and virtual mode platforms. Informative content that has been researched, prepared, and presented by students in a pre-recorded format, will address significant issues brought about by the surge of COVID-19, creating a breeding ground for some of the societal ills, such as gender-based violence (GBV).

In order to establish sustainable relationships with community radio stations, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with two local community radio stations was signed on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 10 October 2020. Prof Puleng LenkaBula, the Vice-Rector: Institutional Change, Student Affairs, and Community Engagement, and Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, CE Director, participated in the commitment to formalise the relationship between the UFS and the two radio stations, Mosupatsela FM and Motheo FM.

Master’s students from the Department of Psychology have produced and pre-recorded podcasts on community psychology. Their topics covered grief and self-compassion. The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics presented topics on a healthy lifestyle and diet. Fourth-year students from the School of Nursing have engaged new mothers concerning post-natal care. The School of Clinical Medicine has addressed the warning signs of burnout and preventative measures.

Bishop Ramahlele emphasised the importance of sustained relationship, which is expected to create further opportunities for interaction through partnerships in skills training (ICT) and the sharing of resources, including consultations through conference platforms. Prof LenkaBula highlighted the significance of the MOA by applauding the initiative, which has unlimited potential to ensure national development through student engagement, since universities create development sites that can be transferred further into the community.

News Archive

Learners positive about Leadership Summit

2013-04-04

Photo: Sonia Small
05 April 2013

Comments from learners who attended the Summit

Video clip (YouTube)

About 250 learners from 55 schools in the country arrived on Thursday 4 April 2013 at the various residences on our Bloemfontein-Campus where they will be staying during the three day summit. During the summit, learners and facilitators discussed the connection between emotional intelligence, leadership, self-leadership, development and communication with conflict resolution in mind.

The summit, which was attended by top leaders from schools, is already hosted for the third consecutive year. Schools are invited months before the time to send representatives to the summit.

These were the impressions of the learners after the first day:

“Today was very nice and interesting. We learnt how not to limit or degrade yourself. “ – Sané Pretorius, Ficksburg High School.

“We can apply the methods we learnt here today to become better leaders both in our schools and community.” – Onkarabile Marumo, Eunice High School

“It was a long and interesting day.” – Johan Barnard, Staatspresident Swart High School

“It is definitely a worthwhile experience for any aspiring young leader.” Shaheen Karodia, Muir College

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