Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
21 April 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Supplied
Lerato Mbongo and Opheleleyo
Double belted! Opheleleyo Qwabe and Lerato Mbongo revel in the moment.

Their friendship began in high school, where they were constantly told by teachers that they would not make it to university, but these best friends never gave up. On Thursday 21 April 2022, they received their honours degrees in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences together during the afternoon ceremony of the University of the Free State’s April Graduations.

Lerato Mbongo and Opheleleyo Qwabe, who have been friends since Grade 9, said being picked on in class for not being the brightest learners brought them together and motivated them to work harder.Mbongo obtained a Bachelor of Agriculture Honours majoring in Wildlife Management, and Qwabe received a Bachelor of Agriculture Honours majoring in Agricultural Economics.

“We’ve always dreamed big, but if you had told us back then that we would one day be two-time graduates, we wouldn’t have believed it. During one of our Maths lessons back in Grade 9, our teacher went around asking the ‘smarter’ kids what they wanted to study after matric, but when he got to us, he said there was no point in asking because we wouldn’t make it that far anyway,” Qwabe said.

The friends, who both started at the university’s South Campus, said they were grateful for the UFS Preparation Programme, as it boosted both their marks and their confidence. “The programme helped us to believe in ourselves again, and also played a big role in helping us discover what we wanted to study. The courses we enrolled in really unlocked an unstoppable passion in us and helped us realise that nothing is impossible. Today, here we are celebrating 10 years of friendship, and our honours degrees. We’ve conquered once again, and we're sharing our victories together,” Mbongo said.

News Archive

SmartDrive devices give UFS wheelchair users more independence
2017-12-01

 Description: Cuads Tags: SmartDrive Power Assist, accessibility, Martie Miranda, CUADS, wheelchair users 

From the left, are: David Mashape; Martie Miranda, Head of the
Center for Universal Access and Disability Support at the UFS;
and Lawrence Qamba, celebrating the recent acquisition
of two SmartDrive Power Assist devices.
Photo: Johan Roux

Students who make use of wheelchairs at the University of the Free State (UFS) will now be able to move around campus more independently than before. This is thanks to two SmartDrive Power Assist devices acquired by the university.

Accessibility is very important to the institution and with these devices clipping onto a manual wheelchair to make it motorised, students will not have to ask for help that often. It will assist them in overcoming obstacles they face every day.

Different surfaces pose different challenges 
According to Martie Miranda, Head of the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS), one of the most important advantages of the SmartDrive machines is that it enhances the independence of students. The devices were bought with funds received from the Department of Higher Education and Training specifically allocated for accessibility and infrastructure.
 
“While the UFS is addressing inaccessibility on its campuses, which will take time, this will help to motorise wheelchairs for wheelchair users to move around more easily. Students can now move around independently without necessarily asking for help, for example, to get up very steep ramps.” Miranda says some surfaces, such as grass and gravel, has its own unique challenges for wheelchair users.

A few years coming

The SmartDrive devices are operated by a Bluetooth watch. By tapping twice on the chair or clapping twice, the motor propels the wheelchair forward and stops when tapped twice, while also braking with one’s hands. The speed can also be controlled by the user. The machines use rechargeable batteries, with a fully charged battery lasting up to 15 hours.
 
Acquiring the devices was a process of a few years, and CUADS is happy to finally employ them to the benefit of their students. Miranda says the determination and support of Prof Nicky Morgan, Vice-Rector: Operations, and the assistance of Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director: Top Management, were instrumental in buying the devices.

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