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12 August 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo NONSINDISO QWABE
Mpho Twala
Cultivating the land-Mpho Twala.

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.”

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UFS presents course on academic support for grades 10 to 12 learners
2007-07-19

The Unit for Professional Training and Service in the Behavioural Sciences (UNIBS) at the University of the Free State (UFS) will be presenting an academic support course for seven weeks from 23 July-7 September 2007 for grades 10 to 12 learners. This course develops important thinking skills which enable learners to reach their academic potential. Thinking skills include reading and learning skills.

These skills are also referred to as study reading skills. Study reading skills are important if learners want to improve their academic performance and plan to study at higher education institutions later in their lives. The cost of the seven-week course is R 830.00. Academic performance opens up opportunities such as applying for selection courses as well as applying for bursaries at higher education institutions. For more information and reservations, please contact Ms Rika Oosthuizen at UNIBS, telephone number 051 4012775 during office hours. The course will be presented at UNIBS on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

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