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20 February 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Supplied
Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. She says writing is a way of life for her and she writes anywhere and anytime.

Nthabiseng (JahRose) Jafta, a Publishing Coordinator at African Languages Press in the Library and Information Services at the University of the Free State (UFS), recently received the Silver Medal Award and other accolades at the Eurasian Literary Festival held in Egypt. Jafta, an MA scholar (Creative Writing) at Rhodes University, describes herself as an international performing poet, artpreneur, teacher, festival curator, content developer, and creative strategist born in the Free State.

Being an introvert, she says her love for writing gives her a voice. “I can echo my thoughts and colour my grey sky,” she explains poetically. She feels writing is as natural to her as breathing. She is comfortable writing anywhere and anytime. “There’s no physical area needed. We type on WhatsApp in the taxi. We catch brainwaves whenever they appear.” Jafta's creative juices seem to be overflowing, as she confessed to even getting an idea while contemplating her love for writing. “Life throws you prompts from all spheres, but you have to be present to recognise its call. And sometimes the piece decides if it wants to be happy, erotic, or sad.”
 
Her literacy cap serves Jafta's career as a publisher and her creative writing when time allows. “I read and write. Publish what I read or write. I also happen to recite, read, and sing what I write. It’s all in alignment.” This Deputy President of the National Writers Association of South Africa and founder of the Poetic Blues Virtual Festival writes in her mother tongue, Sesotho, and English. She also has additional experience in the poetry industry, as she was previously the Curator of the Macufe Poetry Festival. She also attended the International Writing Centre at Beijing Normal University part time. Her poems have also been translated into Mandarin and published in Chinese literary magazines.

Jafta says besides the growing catalogue of more than 40 publications, she also has an upcoming multilingual poetry compilation featuring Spanish, Danish, Mandarin, Arabic, KiSwahili, IsiZulu, and Sesotho translations from English. This poet believes poetry is a gift that feeds lyrics to melodies. “And that song carries us to humanity's highs and lows. Prose is how we navigate that gift daily. They are rainbows on melting clouds, events plants rejoice on their rhythmic drops.”

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Establishment of International Institute for Diversity gains momentum
2009-03-30

 
Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS, and Prof. Allen
Photo: Supplied
Prof. Josephine Allen, Emeritus Professor at Cornell University, USA, met with representatives of executive management, staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS) during March as part of a consultative process with the university community in the establishment of the proposed International Institute for Diversity (IID).

The establishment of the IID follows the closure of the Reitz Residence in 2008. The Institute will be established on the same premises. The IID is envisaged as a centre of academic excellence for studying transformation and diversity in society – a living laboratory for combating discrimination and enabling and enhancing reconciliation in societies grappling with the issues of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

It is planned that the IID will be a multidisciplinary and multidimensional Institute with institutional governance and research responsibilities in the broad context of diversity management, and a fundamental commitment towards inclusiveness.

Prof. Allen said: “The consultation process is an important aspect of the establishment of the IID to ensure that all institutional stakeholders contribute to the project from beginning to end.”

Prof. Allen will continue her Fulbright Fellowship at the UFS this year, following an initial research period of six months in 2008.

A number of senior specialists will join UFS for different periods during 2009 and 2010, with major support from the USA Embassy and the Fulbright Programme in South Africa, to assist and advise on the establishment and roll-out of the IID.

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