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Mpho Twala – the girl with the land

12 August 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo NONSINDISO QWABE

The Bachelor of Community Development qualification offered on the Qwaqwa Campus develops young professionals who are able to work collaboratively with the community to come up with initiatives that build resilience and sustainability. Before obtaining their qualifications, students are required to identify community needs and to come up with viable ways to eradicate these.

It was during this period that Mpho Twala, a recent CommDev graduate, identified a once-thriving community vegetable garden that had been abandoned and subsequently stripped over the years. Further research led her to realise that the soil was still very fertile, and with a bit of work, could once again be revived to become an income-generating business. She received her qualification during the April graduations on the Qwaqwa Campus, but she did not stop there.

Bringing change to the community through vegetable farming

Twala, with no agricultural background, approached the locals for permission to revive the 1-ha garden into a community-owned vegetable garden. “The land has been uncultivated for more than a decade, and after conducting a needs analysis, I didn’t want to leave it like that, because I saw that if I worked with young people, this would help with the high unemployment rate among the youth in this area,” Twala said.

She says she was driven by bringing about change in her community, which she believes was inspired by her studies.

“I’ve always wanted to do something in my community, and CommDev taught me to see opportunities instead of challenges.”

The vegetable garden currently has 17 employees, 10 of whom are under the age of 35. They are currently harvesting cabbages, various forms of spinach, and white onion – all organic – for home consumption and community purchasing. They also occasionally sell to hawkers around Qwaqwa.

Twala dreams of expanding the garden, adding more crops, and ultimately reaching commercial level. “We are currently classified under subsistence farming – farming for home consumption and selling the surplus so that the project can remain operational. But with the right funding and support, we can grow bigger and better.”

News Archive

Golden Key International Chapter again receives prestigious award for service

2011-05-04

The management team of our university's Golden Key (GK) International Honours Society
Photo: Gerhard Louw

Our universities chapter of the Golden Key International Honours Society is the proud recipient of the Golden Key International Chapter Service Award for the second consecutive year.

The chapter received this $1000 award in recognition of the services they deliver to the community of the Free State and the hard work each of their members put in to ensure that their community projects run smoothly.

Mr Ruddy Banyini, the chapter president, says they feel very privileged to know that the chapter’s work receives international recognition. “We feel so privileged that the work of our chapter is appreciated internationally and that it will serve as motivation to everyone to start giving back to their communities,” he said.

The UFS chapter adopted The House of Compassion, an orphanage on the outskirts of Bloemfontein, at the start of 2010. They have collaborated with associations such as the PSA and visit the house on weekends to play with the children. They have also donated food, clothing and shoes. “Our chapter’s motto is ‘It’s not how happy we are that matters, but how happy others are because of us’” Mr Banyini said.

The chapter was selected as one of the 10 most deserving chapters from a possible 390 university and college chapters worldwide, based on their community-service activities. The chapter was also selected to host the South African Regional Golden Key Summit from 06 - 08 October 2011, which means that our university will host the top 15% of achievers from all South African universities.

Mr Banyini said this is a dream come true, since their chapter’s main goal is to see our university as South Africa’s Golden Key reference point.

The GK UFS Chapter will soon be starting a “Together means Warm” campaign which will attempt to provide winter clothes, shoes and new school shoes to the children of the orphanage and also improve their living condition.

“I would like to urge everybody to keep in mind that the community is everyone’s responsibility,” Mr Banyini said.

Media Release
4 May 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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