Latest News Archive

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

Wellness drive officially launched

15 June 2020 | Story Amanda Thongha

&amp;nbsp;

WATCH: Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Hendri Kroukamp, the Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Susan Van Jaarveld, Senior Director at the Department of Human Sources, and Brandon Jacobs, Head of Retail and Business Banking at Standard Bank, Central Free State explain what the “I Am’ Wellness programme is about.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance continues to be a juggling act for most, more so during this uncertain time dominated by COVID-19. To help individuals cope with life challenges, the University of the Free State (UFS) has launched a new short learning programme that addresses all aspects of well-being.

The ‘I Am’ Wellness short learning programme, open to UFS staff, private individuals, and businesses, kicks off on 19 June 2020. A number of prominent South Africans participating in the launch of the ‘I Am’ Wellness short learning programme are, among others, Kovsie alumna and former Miss World, Rolene Strauss; former Miss South Africa, Amy Kleinhans; and motivational speaker and author, Alison Botha. Former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela rounds off the list of public figures who have also expressed interest in the programme.

Burneline Kaars, Head of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness at the UFS, says those interested in the programme can look forward to content focusing on different topics and themes related to wellness aspects. Participants will discover the fun of finding ways to improve their health and well-being through activities, games, quizzes, and many more.

“Upon completion of this programme, participants will be equipped to understand and improve their own personal and work-related well-being. They will be empowered to increase their own well-being and reach their optimal potential in both their personal and work life.”

The programme, a joint effort of the UFS Division of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness and the UFS Department of Industrial Psychology, can be completed online or as part of contact sessions, depending on the needs of the participants. Participants need to avail themselves four hours a week to successfully complete the programme. Those who master the two-month programme will also receive a certificate of completion from the UFS.

The programme is offered to UFS staff at no cost. External audiences will pay R9 500 per person to complete the programme. Groups of 10 and more will get a special discount when signing up.

Registration for the formal programme opens on Wednesday, 24 June 2020.

For more information, contact Burneline Kaars at KaarsB@ufs.ac.za.

Other programmes done by the UFS Organisational Development and Employee Wellness office:

First #MentalHealth awareness run to Stellenbosch to bring hope
Kovsies pedal smoothie bike for #MentalHealth

News Archive

Staff member gets fellowship for HIV prevention advocacy

2008-08-01

Ms Estelle Heideman, HIV/Aids Co-ordinator at the Lengau Agriculture Development Centre of the University of the Free State (UFS), was awarded a fellowship under a leadership initiative in the United States of America (USA). It entails an eight-week training programme to help cultivate women leaders in South Africa who will make major contributions to HIV prevention advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. The programme is underwritten by the MAC AIDS Fund and managed by the HIV Centre for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at Columbia University in New York City and the UCLA Program in Global Health at the University of California in Los Angeles. Fellows will participate in an orientation overview, attend regular scheduled prevention seminars and policy meetings, and hold meetings with mentors. At the conclusion of the programme, the leadership initiative will, amongst other benefits, provide funds for fellows to carry out their prevention programme in South Africa. Ms Heideman, in collaboration with the university’s Chief Directorate Community Service and Free State Rural Development Programme, has been working on a number of farms in the southern Free State since 2006. The prevention plan that captured the interest of the US panel of judges is an eight-week programme among farm workers in the Philippolis district with the aim to equip them to take control of their lives by knowing their HIV status and living a healthy lifestyle.
Photo: Supplied

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