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08 June 2023 | Story Nosethu Badlezana | Photo Supplied
Nosethu Badlezana
Nosethu Badlezana, Academic Facilitator: Centre for Teaching and Learning

The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating Youth Month by showcasing the positive influence of the institution on career development. As part of this initiative, we are sharing the stories of UFS alumni who are now working at the university.

Nosethu Badlezana shares her UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS: 
A: I completed my undergraduate degree in 2015 and thereafter obtained my honours in 2016.

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS: 
A: The first degree I obtained was a BA in Communication with specialisation in Media Studies and Journalism. I then made the decision to pursue my honours degree in the same field.

Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member: 
A: In 2016, I began my internship on the Qwaqwa Campus with the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s former Curriculum Delivery and Innovation Division, which is now known as the Blended Learning Innovation Support and Services Division. The following year, upon completion of my internship, I was appointed as an Assistant Officer in the Academic Language and Literacy Development Division within the same department. Then, in 2022, I was promoted to the role of Academic Facilitator.

Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?
A: During my time as a student at the UFS, I followed a comprehensive curriculum that equipped me with essential skills to thrive in a professional setting. Through a diverse range of modules, I developed proficiencies in crucial areas, including time management, effective communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, self-management, and collaborative teamwork.

Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member? 
A: It's a fascinating journey, one that feels like a way of giving back to the community that nurtured and shaped me. Assisting students to achieve success in higher education doesn't feel like a burden to me, as I once walked the same path as a student at this institution. The UFS has provided me with a valuable network of support and mentorship, which has been instrumental in fostering a sense of security and confidence in my chosen career path.

News Archive

Bring back dignity to our schoolgirls
2015-03-10

A Kovsie student initiative is currently crying out to the community at large to help in realising a dream of helping school learners who come from poor families to gain confidence in their school work and social lives generally. 

 

This initiative by Nkanyezi Talk @UFS aims to do this through the provision of sanitary towels to such learners at the onset of puberty.

 

“Through research, we have established that some learners face numerous challenges during this stage, with some using socks as a substitute for sanitary towels while others opt for newspapers. This raises a lot of health and psychological concerns,” says project coordinator Bongani Zwane.

 

According to research conducted by UNICEF in 2013, one in ten girls who cannot afford sanitary towels will miss a week of schooling during the cycle of their period. This is because they fear being ridiculed by other learners, and because their dignity as girls is not being respected. This absence from school also happens because they do not understand what is happening to their bodies.

 

“What should be a celebration of womanhood becomes a time of shame and embarrassment with dire consequences for the girls’ education as well as their future,” Zwane adds.

 

“We therefore appeal to everyone to help us realise this dream of making sure that we reduce the number of schoolgirls who do not attend school during their menstruation periods, and restore their dignity by donating sanitary towels.

 

“Overall, we have already collected more than 1000 packs of sanitary towels. The office of Cornelia Faasen, our acting dean of Student Affairs, has also endorsed the campaign and already donated 600 packs of sanitary towels,” says Zwane.

 

“We have set ourselves the goal of collecting and donating 10 000 (ten thousand) sanitary towels in total.”

 

 

Methods of Donating

 

Nkanyezi Talk @UFS welcomes any physical donations of sanitary towels and financial donations through their UFS entity number 1/466/08119 only.

 

For more information on how and where to donate, please contact project coordinator Bongani Zwane at 079 237 5089 or email him to bzwane@workmail.co.za.

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