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18 May 2022 | Story Lunga Luthuli
East College - Eco Vehicles Team
Overall winners of the 2022 Eco-vehicle race, East College, hard at work to get their car ready for the race held at the Odeion parking lot on the Bloemfontein Campus.

For the first time, the University of the Free State’s 2022 Eco-vehicle race – held on the Bloemfontein Campus on 14 May 2022 – had students from all three campuses participating in the programme and race; a cup was awarded to the college with the best support.

Although the annual event did take place in 2021, only team members were allowed access to campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown regulations, and therefore the race was streamed live. 

Karen Scheepers, Assistant Director: Student Life, said: “To have the students back on campus supporting their teams was incredible; this event will become bigger and better every year.”

With the Eco-vehicle race project, the UFS aims to use an innovative skills development approach that will enable students to develop basic knowledge and skills on sustainable energy.

This year, 130 undergraduate students enrolled for this co-curricular skills programme that runs for nine months and culminates in the Eco-vehicle race. A total of eight teams competed in the energy efficiency race, speed race, obstacle course race, and the main event – the endurance race. For the first time in the main event, the teams raced against each other for 18 laps. 

The winners of this year’s event were Central College (Akasia, Karee, Kagiso, Soetdoring, and Wag-’n-Bietjie residences) for Spirit Cup, South Campus took home the Pit Stop, North College won the Smart Lap, and South College won the Endurance Race. The overall winners of the Eco-vehicle race were East College (Legatum residence). 

The driver for East College, Lebakeng Motlotlo, said: “Even though I have always been part of the KovsieACT Committee in my residence, seeing that the focus this year was more on energy saving and saving resources, it pushed me to participate.”

Motlotlo believes the practice he and his team went through worked for them, as they were able to practise “how to turn, slow down around corners, and save energy”. 

“Our team was very dedicated and knew how to improvise when faced with challenges. As a small residence and most of us living off campus, the race taught us the importance of teamwork.” 

Motlotlo believes “initiatives such as the Eco-vehicle race are important, as we learn other skills outside of lectures, which we sometimes think are not important”.

Scheepers said the plan is to “grow the programme, motivate other universities to also invest in their students through this programme, and race to become a national and maybe an international event”.

“The programme adds value to the student experience to ensure that they do not only obtain a degree during their study period, but also undergo practical application of acquired knowledge and skills through real-life situations and meaningful learning encounters,” said Scheepers. 

News Archive

Want to make a difference in the world? Here is how.
2016-05-13

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Student Bursary Fund Campaign booklet (pdf)
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Student Bursary Fund Campaign launched: #FundAFuture and make a difference
Motho ke motho ka batho. A person is a person through others

 

We live in a world filled with want. Often, we ache to make a difference, but become overwhelmed and despondent when we look into this chasm of need. However, the University of the Free State (UFS) has created a way for each of us to change lives, in much the same way that the life of Nozi Bonje has been changed.

“Through the opportunities given to me, I realised that you don’t have to be defined by the school you went to. You can do so much more – and you can dream big dreams and realise them.”

Then
The early chapters of Nozi’s life story reveal a shy girl, hiding between the pages of her books on the playground of a township school. With barely a whisper, Nozi was slipping into a desolate future where dreams existed only in sleep.

Now

Today, that timid young girl has grown into a woman who throws her head back in effortless laughter, confidence sparking off her in bright arcs. What changed the trajectory of her future? Financial support for a tertiary education altered Nozi’s life permanently.

“If I didn’t go to university, I would have been this sad little person,” she remarks. “Studying is not just about learning from a textbook, though. It also challenges you to think critically. You start seeing things in a different perspective, and respond differently.”

Description: Nozi_FundAFuture Tags: Nozi_FundAFuture

Nozi Bonje
Photo: Sonia Small

Giving back
Funding enabled Nozi to obtain a BSc degree in Human Molecular Biology at the UFS in 2015. She was one of the top students in her class. Inspired and driven, she is currently pursuing an honours degree in Molecular Genetics, also at the UFS.

“My main dream is to make a difference in people’s lives. For me, it’s all about giving back, because so many people helped me throughout my journey.”

Student Bursary Fund Campaign

In order to help increase the number of lives transformed through higher education – such as Nozi’s – the UFS has established the Student Bursary Fund Campaign. This campaign aims to raise money to fund talented, deserving students who lack the financial means of obtaining a university degree. We cannot do this alone, though.

Your support is crucial.

Each contribution will bring us closer to our goal while changing the future of our youth. Visit our Giving page for ways to donate.

 


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