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22 October 2021 | Story Dr Nitha Ramnath | Photo Rhona Klopper
Donating masks to Rekopane Primary School, were from the left: Alfi Moolman (UFS Directorate: Community Engagement), Sonja Venter-Botes (Bloemshelter), Tina Moleko (Rankwe Primary School), and Michelle Engelbrecht (UFS Centre for Health Systems Research and Development).

The Centre for Health Systems Research and Development (CHSR&D) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently donated 500 masks to Rekopane Primary School in Botshabelo. This initiative was part of its pledge to donate 100 cloth masks to a previously disadvantaged primary school for every 1 000 of the first 5 000 completed questionnaires that formed part of a study survey examining people’s understanding of information about COVID-19 vaccines. The results of the study will be shared with stakeholders who are responsible for providing information about COVID-19 vaccinations.

It is known that a large number of people globally and in South Africa prefer not to be vaccinated. “There are many reasons for this, and we would like to find out where people are getting information about the COVID-19 vaccination, and whether they are able to understand this information, so that they can make an informed choice about getting vaccinated. We did this by asking people about their own health and COVID-19, where they have heard about the vaccine, if they understood this information, and whether they have had/would have the vaccine or not, as well as the reasons for this,” said Prof Michelle Engelbrecht, Director of CHSR&D. 

While following guidelines such as wearing masks, sanitising hands, and social distancing are important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a large percentage of the population will need to be vaccinated if we want to control the pandemic in the long term and prevent hospitalisation and severe illness. 

All persons in South Africa aged 18 and older were invited to complete an online survey regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. The survey, which was available in the seven most spoken languages in the country, was advertised on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and on the Moya app.  The survey was open from 1 to 31 September 2021, and the CHSR&D received 10 554 completed questionnaires.  No data was required to complete the survey.

The Department of Basic Education partners decided on the school that would benefit, and the study provided an opportunity to support Bloemshelter, a UFS flagship programme. Alfi Moolman of the Directorate: Community Engagement said that “NGOs are really struggling to make ends meet, and we are delighted that Bloemshelter could provide the masks as one of their income-generating projects.  So many lives are touched for the good. The university is indeed a caring organisation.”


News Archive

Memorial lecture: Language and language activism in a time of transformation.
2005-05-11

The Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS) will present the 24th DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture on Wednesday 18 May 2005 at 19:00 in the CR Swart Auditorium on campus.

 

The lecture will be delivered by Proof. Hennie van Coller and Jaap Steyn and the title is “Language and language activism in a time of transformation”.

 

Prof van Coller is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Afrikaans and Nederlands, German and French at UFS. Prof Van Coller has had more than 100 academic articles published in accredited journals and books; he has been author, co-author or editor of 17 books, and has delivered more than 50 lectures at conferences in South Africa and abroad. He has been awarded the Gustav Preller Prize by the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and the Elizabeth Eybers Prize.  Prof van Coller was recently elected as chairperson of the Akademie.

 

Prof Steyn has written numerous articles in academic journals, a collection of poems, and several prose works, including Tuiste in eie taal, a study in the politics of language, and biographies of NP van Wyk Louw, MER and PJ Cillié. His work has been widely acclaimed.  Among his many awards are the following from the SA Academy: the CJ Langenhoven Prize for linguistics, the Stals Prize for historiography, the NP van Wyk Louw medallion for a valuable contribution to a field of study; the Elisabeth Eybers Prize and the Eugène Marais Prize for a debut work (the volume of poems Die grammatika van liefhê).

 

Enquiries can be directed to Ms Joan Nel at (051) 401-9301.

 

Media release

 

Issued by:                     Lacea Loader

                                    Media Representative

                                    Tel:  (051) 401-2584

                                    Cell:  083 645 2454

                                    E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

 

11 May 2005

 

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