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23 April 2021 | Story Dikgapane Makhetha | Photo Supplied
Engaged citizenship towards enabling and training
UFS Department of Community Engagement presents three-day workshop to empower local and individual entrepreneurs in Qwaqwa.

Since the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa has been commemorating its freedom during the month of April. This year, the theme of ‘Mobilising Society Towards Consolidating Democracy and Freedom’, encourages institutions and citizens to collaborate in creating a better life for all. Development and training are significant means of building strong and prosperous communities. Engaged Scholarship (ES) is responsible for aiding the identification of interventions in relation to the University of the Free State’s (UFS) institutional values and culture. As the integral element of ES, engaged citizenship (EC) creates an enabling approach through engagement and citizenship programmes.

To this end, a three-day (7-9 April 2021) Community Development Empowerment Training workshop was held for local and individual entrepreneurs in Qwaqwa. This was aimed at supporting endeavours to mobilise self-employment, with anticipated economic freedom. A collaboration between the UFS CE, the Qwaqwa Campus Department of Community Development, the Agape Foundation for Community Development, and Klein-Boy Trading Enterprise has identified with the Freedom Month call to encourage joint initiatives to build a strong and empowered nation.  
The first round of the three-day workshop entailed motivational and support seminars, skills empowerment sessions on writing a business plan, and training in upholstery and furniture making. On completion of the second round, about fifty attendants will be awarded certificates of attendance.

News Archive

Young Communication student publishes second book
2014-09-03

Most people get to 90 and never publish a book. Some people at 19 have not even read a book.
But 19-year-old BA Communication student at Kovsies, Grace Nthebe, has already published two books, only in this year...

Grace writes poetry and her first book is called Reflections by Grace.

“It is a personal book and it was only by the grace of God that I could do this reflection,” says Grace.

“Reflections take a look at four aspects of myself:

- Me as a beginner in my life;
- Being a believer of love;
- Looking at critical conditions in life;
- And then finally, taking a look at myself as an African woman.”

Grace became fascinated with poetry in Grade 10. She developed as a poet more and more when she was in Grade 11 and started relying on her writing as a means to express the unexpressed.

“A friend of mine took a look at my writing and asked why I don’t have it published?”

“That was not easy, but I covered everything smoothly and took my time with it.”

More recently, Grace’s second book called Tribute to Love was also published.

“This is more of a motivational book,” she says.

“Young women often have to pretend to be ‘okay’ when going through tough times like a break-up. In Tribute to Love I go through ten basic steps to recover fully after a break-up.”

“A lot of times recovery starts with forgiveness and if you have social support, it eventually ends with learning to let go and being willing to love again. Relationships and break-ups are often phases every person goes through, but it is important to go through it in the right way…”

Grace’s books are self published by Quick Fox and available online at amazon.com

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