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Engaged citizenship towards enabling and training

23 April 2021 | Story Dikgapane Makhetha | Photo Supplied

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.

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Kovsie fencers dominate the Free State Fencing Closed Competition

2015-10-19

The ultimate clash of the fencing titans Photo credits: Robynne van Zuydam.

Willem Brink and Wanda Verster fenced their hearts out at Free State Closed Competition, winning gold medals in the men’s and women’s category, respectively. These University of the Free State students dominated opponents from the Vrystaat Amateur Skerm Klub (VASK).

Fencers from the VASK retaliated bravely in defense of their honour on Saturday 12 September 2015, with Jurgen Schroder taking home a Silver medal. His team mates, Ruan Coetzee-Schroder and Shaeffer Georgiou, shared the Bronze medal. A winning performance placed VASK’s Danielle Ceronio and Stella Heyns in the Bronze realm. Kovsie Fencing’s Kayla de Gouveid shared the spot with Stella as a bronze recipient.

It was a clash of the titans as 27 participants formed opposing teams. The University of the Free State (UFS) team, who hosted the competition, showed the guests no sign of mercy as they triumphed.

Wanda was impressed by the UFS’s performance. “The students performed very well, especially considering that most of them started fencing just this year.”

“Willem Brink, who finished with gold, started fencing in 2012. He finished with a Bronze medal at the Free State Closed competition held earlier, in May 2015 The first fencer to reach 15 wins,” said the Kovsie Fencing representative.

The club will represent our university at the University of Pretoria (TUKS) Open where fencers from the entire country will compete on 25 and 26 September 2015. The club is also preparing for the University Sports South Africa (USSA) tournament and the Limpopo Open that take place in November and December, respectively. These competitions serve to pave the way for the July 2016 nationals, where Kovsies hope to make their mark as champions.

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