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11 March 2022 | Story NONSINDISO QWABE | Photo Supplied
Dr Ralph Clarke
Dr Ralph Clark, Director of the Afromontane Research Unit.

The African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF), in association with the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) of the University of the Free State (UFS), and the Global Mountain Safeguard Research Programme (GLOMOS), is hosting the first-ever Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2022). The theme of the conference is Southern African Mountains – their value and vulnerabilities.

The conference will bring relevant people together into one space for networking and information sharing, leading to more robust regional and international collaborations and comparative mountain studies with an increase in research activities, student capacity, researcher capacity and academic outputs that feed into policy and action. 

The conference will take place from 14 to 17 March 2022 in the majestic Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa and Lesotho. 

According to the SAMC2022 website, this is a truly Southern African regional mountain conference, targeting the African region south of the Congo rainforest (DRC) and Lake Rukwa (Tanzania), but including Madagascar, the Comoros and the Mascarenes (i.e., Angola, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo [southern mountains], Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, La Réunion, South Africa, southern Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).

Dr Ralph Clark, ARU Director, said the conference would be a high-level international event with UNESCO patronage and very valuable sponsors.

“The programme will have six parallel tracks (one being dedicated to postgraduate students), with about 200 papers being delivered. In addition, we have some very high-profile special sessions, such as an MRI special session on long-term monitoring activities and associated data availability for climate change-related applications across Africa’s mountains, as well as a UNESCO special session on regional collaboration. We also have Prof Julian Bayliss, described as the man who discovered an unseen world, as the guest speaker at the closing event.”

The conference will bring together relevant people in one space for networking and information sharing, leading to more robust regional and international collaborations and comparative mountain studies, with an increase in research activities, student capacity, researcher capacity, and academic outputs that feed into policy and action.

The GLOMOS team, one of the long-term partners of the ARU, spent the week of 8 to 11 March 2022 on the Qwaqwa Campus to strengthen collaboration and pave the way for new research opportunities in Phuthaditjhaba and the Maloti-Drakensberg.
GLOMOS represents an interface between the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Eurac Research. Postdoctoral fellow, Dr Stefano Terzi, said: “It’s very interesting for us to look at the Maloti-Drakensberg area because of its diversity. We are in the process of really exciting collaborations.”
Their projects include an understanding of the root causes of land degradation and improving decision-making processes for current water management within the context of water scarcity in the Maloti-Drakensberg.
• For more information on the speakers and the programme, click here 


News Archive

Student gives hope to childhood cancer patients
2015-10-16


Siphokuhle Jama believes that the underprivileged are also destined to reign.

The inaugural ‘Dance and Musical Childhood Cancer Fundraising Day’, held on Saturday 26 September 2015 at the Free State Childhood Cancer (CHOC) Foundation, was “a huge success,” according to Siphokuhle Jama, the organiser.

Siphokuhle is a second-year BSc Agricultural Economics student at the University of the Free State (UFS), who has devoted his life to bettering the lives of the less fortunate. The 21-year-old self-proclaimed motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and budding author was inspired by his humble beginnings to found the Destined to Reign Foundation, which champions various community initiatives in both his home town of Mtata and Bloemfontein.

To support the fight against childhood cancer, the young philanthropist took it upon himself to invite music and dance fanatics either to perform or to enjoy spectatorship for a good cause. The impressive support received from the UFS, Universitas Academic Hospital, and Central University of Technology (CUT), various artists, and the community has contributed towards ensuring that the inaugural fundraiser was a prelude to annual events to come.

Singers, dancers, and poets entertained the audience with vigour, making the day one of the most special for the young children, who spend their days and nights at the CHOC House, with little to do but undergo radiation and chemotherapy and await a discharge date. .

All proceeds went towards basic needs, such as food, toiletries, and clothing for the children residing at the House, which is located in the same suburb as our university. In addition to accommodating dozens of cancer patients and their mothers, the House also assists with the treatment and rehabilitation of children suffering from life-threatening blood disorders. Thus, the fundraiser served to promote awareness of these health conditions.

Siphokuhle’s passion for giving hope to the underprivileged was unveiled by a school community engagement project 14 years ago. He has never looked back.“It has always been in my heart to serve my community,” he said.

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