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17 July 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo iStock
The UFS initiated a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives.
The University of the Free State (UFS) is launching a new community engagement programme to help communities take charge of their lives during and after the national lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The E-Community Engagement Programme will run for the duration of the lockdown to ensure that the UFS continues to serve all people. This programme is one of more than 120 community development programmes and projects that the UFS is involved with this year.

Rev Billyboy Ramahlele, Director: Community Engagement, says this strategy is the result of the Institutional Transformation Plan, which seeks to deepen the university’s commitment towards the betterment of our communities by creating sustainable partnerships for development. “This programme is dedicated to assisting communities to take charge of their lives during and after this pandemic and will focus on sustainable livelihoods and family support”, he says.

With these community development programmes and projects, about 3 000 UFS students spend at least 127 000 hours per year engaging in 73 service-learning modules. This excludes the clinical work done by our medical and education students in the community through community-based education and inter-professional learning. The university’s 22 student volunteer associations play an important role in community development projects. Our academics and researchers contribute their intellectual resources through their involvement, teaching, and research in different aspects of community life.

The E-Community Engagement Programme refers to an alternative online/virtual community engagement platform aimed at facilitating continuously negotiated collaborations and partnerships between the UFS and the interest groups that it interacts with, aimed at building and exchanging the knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources required to develop and sustain society. Such alternative engagement stems from adapting physical face-to-face (f2f) community engagement to an e-environment. As a result of the uncertain state of restricted f2f engagement during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of participation, dialogue, engaged learning, and teaching by university staff and students is on citizens actively participating in the development of their own lives and that of their surrounding communities.

Details of the E-Community Engagement Programme will soon be published on the UFS website, and will be presented on radio and online in partnership with Motheo FM, Mosupatsela FM, Kovsie FM, Mangaung Municipality, Towers of Hope, Princess Gabo Foundation, Rock Foundation, Bloemshelter, and all our faculties.


News Archive

Meet the person behind the title – your new FaceOfFacebook
2015-04-29

Kovsies #FaceOfFacebook was born three years ago out of a need to engage with students, and become a virtual friend. Auditions are held every year to choose the new ‘face’ representing the UFS on Facebook. The successful candidate holds the title as #FaceOfFacebook for the next 12 months, attending events, and filming short video clips to post on our Facebook page.

 

The votes have been counted, and we have a winner. After much excitement and a close contest, Nompumelelo Maseko (whose name, fittingly, means ‘success’) emerged victorious from the top six contestants selected by our panel of judges. We sat down with the soft-spoken Mpumi – as her friends call her – to get a sense of the person who will be our ambassador for the next year.

 

What is your field of study, and how far along are you?

I am studying for a BSc degree in Genetics, and I’m currently in my second year. I have a particular interest in the forensic sciences, which fascinate me!

 

Are you originally from Bloemfontein?

No, I am originally from Pretoria.

 

How is it that you ended up here, studying at the UFS?

Before leaving school, I applied to various universities, but my desires and ambitions brought me here.

 

How do you find your residence?

Akasia ladies are big on sisterhood, very supportive. Res life is very enjoyable.

 

What do you hope to accomplish during your term as the #FaceOfFacebook?

I would like to help people become aware of what is taking place on campus. There are many opportunities to be more engaged with what is happening at the varsity. For instance, there are still many people who don’t really know what the #FaceOfFacebook is, and I would like to help inform them about it.

 

What is your motivation in your studies, in taking part in this contest, and in life?

I am intrigued by the function of life forms, the differences that exist at a cellular level.
For this competition, I fed off my love of people, even though I am shy. I also enjoy presenting.


I have my parents to thank as my motivation, as well as meeting and engaging with people. I find that I achieve a broader perspective when I don’t restrict myself to my own opinions, but strive to be open to differing views.

 

Nompumelelo will be appearing in one of her first Facebook videos shortly, so be sure to keep an eye on our Facebook page.

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