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Community psychology project empowers staff at Lettie Fouché School

11 November 2022 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Community Psychology students engage with the teaching and support staff at Lettie Fouché School as part of their recent community service-learning project.

Transforming lives through quality, impact, and care – reads the essence of the University of the Free State (UFS). However, this phrase can also be used to describe the work of honours students in the Department of Psychology’s Community Psychology module with the Lettie Fouché School.

The Department of Psychology has a long-standing relationship with the Lettie Fouché School in Bloemfontein through the former therapeutic horse-riding programme with foundation phrase learners at the school. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was put on hold.

Promoting teacher well-being

Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Dr Pravani Naidoo, says that community partners at Lettie Fouché have expressed a desire to continue their partnership with the university. This resulted in students seeking alternative ways to meaningfully interact with the school.

They have embraced podcasts as a form of e-service learning to promote the well-being of teachers and support staff, including hostel caregivers and therapists. The podcasts allowed the students to present their interventions in a practical and easily accessible way.

To determine the needs of the staff, the students engaged in a face-to-face needs assessment process with key stakeholders from the school, including Liana van Heerden, the Head of Occupational Therapy, and Charmaine de Waal, the Social Worker. This was followed by a needs assessment process on Google Forms, where staff answered questions related to their needs. They found that staff is experiencing challenges such as poor communication skills and conflict, which can often result in low levels of productivity and job satisfaction.

The students – informed by what they have learned in class theoretically and based on the needs assessment outcomes as part of their community intervention programme – identified self-compassion, character strengths, effective communication, and self-regulation towards conflict management as topics to address via their podcasts. These strategies are aimed at equipping and empowering the group of teachers to uphold good mental health and a healthy working environment.

The students prepared podcast transcripts, which were recorded in the new KovsieFM recording studio by Gerben van Niekerk from Kovsie Support Services. The podcasts were shared with the Lettie Fouché staff group via email. After receiving a request, they also made the recordings more widely available to occupational therapists and social workers at other schools in the Free State. The Lettie Fouché staff felt that the podcasts were of such high quality and relevance that it should be shared with their colleagues.

This initiative had the support of the school principal, Alexander Jordaan.

Via Google Forms and informal focus groups, the staff group provided their feedback on the podcasts to students. The focus groups, where Jordaan indicated his and the school’s support for the partnership, were arranged by the school.

During these sessions, the students were commended for producing professionally recorded podcasts, which were not too long and were easy to listen to. The staff also indicated that they had started practising many of the tools that the students shared with them to promote their well-being.

Students learning valuable lessons

One of the students, Felicia Sibambo, reported that she herself picked up many valuable lessons during this learning opportunity. “Participating in this community project improved my knowledge, skills, and experience. I am now more careful about what I say and how I say it, and I can pause before I speak, because I am aware that communication is one of the factors that affect conflict.”

Regarding her interactions with the school group, Felicia says, “I have acquired from them the qualities they portray, such as being kind, joyful, united, compassionate – the list is endless. I hope that they maintain that wonderful energy. It has been a lovely experience.”

Eden-Lee Mohr, who believes that it is important to be considerate and kind, was a member of the group that focused on communication skills and conflict management. She says the podcast not only helped the teachers; it also helped her. She says she also learned a lot about herself in this process.

According to Konaye Masiba, who learned to see things from different perspectives, this project has facilitated her personal growth. She states: “Working on this project was an advantage for me, because I gained knowledge concerning teamwork, time management, and the importance of communication.”

Rihani Lombard, who felt out of her comfort zone during the project, says she was once again reminded of the importance of prioritising her mental health. She also implemented the information that she shared with the Lettie Fouché work group in her own life.

Delmariè Cilliers says the project has made her more aware of the community and how to assess their needs. “Don’t assume their needs. It is very important to hear the community's voice and then act on their voice,” she says.

Podcasts adding value in e-service learning

Despite being a teaching tool equipping students in the Community Psychology module, the project greatly benefited the Lettie Fouché work group. They only had positive feedback to share with the students, especially about the format in which the information was shared. Van Heerden says the podcasts helped them to listen to the information at any time in any place. The topics covered were also relevant, they indicated. They also felt that the strategies shared with them, including self-regulation, practising self-compassion and mindfulness, were easy to learn.

She adds: “Besides equipping us to deal with day-to-day communication and conflict challenges, the Lettie Fouché staff appreciated the podcasts as it also reminded us about the importance of taking care of our own well-being. The group has without a doubt succeeded in their goal: promoting teacher wellness.”

News Archive

SRC Inauguration speech: 22 January 2005

2005-01-22

Campus Head (Prof Peter Mbati). Dean of Students (Dr Natie Luyt). Deputy Director: Student Affairs and my boss (Mr. Teboho Manchu), Members of the University executive and Academic staff members, SRC members, Leaders of trade Unions and Student organizations, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, most importantly first entering students and Parents receive my heartfelt revolutionary greetings.

Let me extend my word of appreciation to our distinguished guests for adding value and dignity to this event. Your presence here means a lot to us. Program Director what I bring here with me, assisted by facts, and is therefore just the work of my imagination. Like a love letter addressed to a sweetheart miles away, even though you do not know how she feels, what she wants to hear, and do not even know how her face looks like.

To me a speech is just an honest and intimate conversation. That is why I got into the habit of establishing a dialogue, or a debate, with my acquaintances looking at their faces and trying to persuade them of what I am telling them.

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament we are gathering at this ceremony, significantly few weeks after the release of grade 12 results, with the exception of those from Mpumalanga because of fraud. The Grade 12 results also show that only 18% of Black learners matriculated with exemptions, as compared to 53, 6% of white learners. This is an indication that our education system needs an overhaul.

We are also gathered here significantly a day after the management retreat held in Bloemfontein, Masselspoort. The retreat discussed, among other things, the transformation agenda, and some possible solutions to challenges we are facing now.

Most regrettably, we are gathered here when the whole world morns the victims of Tsunami tragedy. Let me therefore tore the line and convey our deepest condolences, from the last robot of my heart, to the affected families. Our hearts and thoughts will always be occupied by this horrified tragedy.

Creating a new Institution

I would submit, for purposes of debate and discussions that this Institution should strive to specialize and excel in regional rural development studies. Since our higher education, institutions in South Africa are generally weak in rural development studies. Instead, most of them tend to have an urban orientation to their programmes. Training everybody for the cities, big business and the private sector. This is a big weakness in a country with such large rural areas and population trapped in poverty, disease and ignorance.

Women’s studies

Program Director, it is only a moron who can argue against the fact that for us to reposition the institution around the regional development challenge, we need to start first with women empowerment. It is a fact that in most of our poor communities and families, it is women who withstand the worst of poverty. They are the ones who daily have to wipe tears from children who are hungry. It is women who look after the sick, the elderly, those dying from AIDS and the jobless. They are the one who have to fetch water, make fire and cook. There can therefore be no rural development studies without women studies, in particular on how to empower them and assist in the provision of basic services, so that they are relieved from some of the burdensome task of the society.

Registration Process

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament let me indicate that the registration is a process and not an event, so it cannot be concluded overnight. This huge process demands for people to stay calm, as there is no crisis. People should stop being excited. At the same time, no organization should use its cheap popularity and unilaterally disrupt the continuous and smooth running of the registration process at hand.

Let me strongly indicate, madam deputy speaker, that I am on record for stating that I have forgiven all those who have wronged us. I harbour no bitterness towards the protagonists of our painful and unfortunate events of the past week. And we will overcome this process not by our own devices but by the help of Almighty God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Concerning registration of first years, we have programs, concerning that of senior students, we have programs, regarding graduations we have programs, and concerning HIV\AIDS we have programs. So, there is no need for people to press panicking buttons.

Mr. Speaker and Madam Deputy Speaker of the Student Parliament let me be opportunistic and welcome the entire student body on Campus for the academic year 2005. May our lovely first entering students have a happy and momentous year as part of Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State. May your studies be fruitful and enjoyable.

Student years are generally the happiest years of your life, so please make the most of them. While you are doing, all your preparations bear in mind that University is not an opportunity, it is just creating opportunities for a person.

On behalf of SRC members, our people, our students and management members I would like to welcome you all. Even though your parents are far away, here at Uniqwa you have more brothers, more sisters and more parents. Since we will love you with the same love as if we are from one family, and I have no doubts that management members will love and care for you as if you are their own children. Should you encounter any problem while studying at the Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State do not hesitate to contact us at the SRC offices because we need to ameliorate any factor influencing you negatively while on campus. I wish you well in the attainment of your academic pursuit.

Senior Students: We are not faced with just a new year but another academic year where we all have to work together to achieve our common goal of building our Institution through the development of human power. I urge you to invest your whole selves in this SRC.

For quite some time now, a debate has been ranging as to, whether has there been any progress in this incorporation process, or we are just moving with no direction. This debate is important, but I hasten to add not essential. The SRC is also involved in this debate, but with definite shift in emphasis. For us it is not important to participate in the debate than it is in finding solutions for the challenges of this new chapter in the history of humankind.

To my colleagues: Comrades, we are leading this Institution with a sense of pride and duty, and I know very well that we lead men and women, students who are determined to ensure that we all reach our destination safely and on time.

I said in one of our meetings that there are more enemies on our way, more than we can imagine. I think you witnessed that during the course of this week. The excitement and unnecessary confusions caused by some confused and loosed charlatans bear testimony to my statements. We should not reveal our game plans unless we are ready to slam.

Let me also borrow from the words of the late Albert Lethuli when he said and I quote: “There remains before us the building of the new land, from the ruins of the old narrow groups, a synthesis of the rich cultural strains which we have inherited. The task is immense”. Lastly, a navy divided within its ranks will be vanquished and destroyed by the enemy, but a navy united in purpose and action, loyalty and commitment will not drawn but sail on to victory.

In conclusion, let me call upon all political structures, church denominations, developmental structures, clubs, societies and forums to put aside all their differences, ideological insinuations and forge unity towards transforming Qwaqwa Campus of University of the Free State into an institution that is seen playing vigilant role in developing students academically, politically, socially, spiritually, religiously, culturally and otherwise.

Program Director, let me end my speech by indicating that every drop of my blood is telling me that Uniqwa is my home. I firstly became a student here, I became an activist here, I became a leader here, I became a president here, I will become a graduant here and hopefully I will become an employee here. So never, doubt my commitment towards the community of this campus.

Please be informed, in a central University of Technology’s way, that if there is no UNIQWA in HEAVEN, then I am not GOING.

Let us broaden the social base.

Tello Titus Wa-Motloung President General

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