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#YouthMonth: Celebrating youth empowerment (Boitumelo Mokheseng)

22 June 2023 | Story Boitumelo Mokheseng | Photo Supplied

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.

Boitumelo Mokheseng, Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) Intern in the Qwaqwa Campus Health and Wellness Centre, shares her UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:

A: 2021.

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:

A: Bachelor of Administration.

Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:

A: March 2023.

Q: Initial job title and current job title:

A: PYEI intern in the Qwaqwa Campus Health and Wellness Centre.

Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?

A: The University of the Free State (UFS) propelled me towards the career path I had always aspired to. The comprehensive education I received not only equipped me with the necessary skills for the workplace, but also fostered a problem-solving mindset that was ingrained in us from our undergraduate years.

Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?

A: The transition from being a UFS student to a staff member has been wonderful, even though challenging, because now I get to feel the pressure that the clinic staff felt while I was a student. For instance, when visiting the clinic before, I didn’t understand why there are long queues, why we are not assisted in time; since I’m the one assisting the students with the booking systems and making sure they get to the consulting rooms, I now understand how things work.

Q: Any additional comments about your experience?

A: Working here at the UFS has been a dream come true. I am fascinated daily by meeting up with inspiring people who motivate me to do better in life, and I keep learning new things. The experience so far is good; I have acquired new skills, moved from office work and got involved in campaigns such as First Things First where I can engage more with students and meet the different stakeholders from the health department. I’m thankful for the great opportunity the university has given me to be part of it as a staff member – no longer a student.

News Archive

Dr Mercy Oduyoye receives an honorary doctorate for changing how women are viewed in theology

2015-07-08

Dr Mercy Oduyoye.
Photo: Johan Roux

Dr Mercy Amba Oduyoye received an honorary degree from the UFS Faculty of Theology in acknowledgement of the trailblazing work she has done in the field of African women’s theology. Known as the Mother of African Women’s Theology, Dr Oduyoye is the first black woman in Africa to have received a degree in theology. Ever since then, she has been changing views on gender in theology across the globe. Still at the office at the age of 82, Dr Oduyoye’s life work has centred on two areas: her work with churches, and her work with female theologians.

Women in religion and culture
Following the 2015 Winter Graduation Ceremony on the Bloemfontein Campus, during which Dr Oduyoye received her honorary degree from the University of the Free State (UFS), she presented a lecture on women in religion and culture at the Faculty of Theology. Dr Oduyoye gave a brief overview of her involvement in organisations since the early 1970s to eliminate patriarchal structures in theology, in order to produce a relationship of partnership between women and men. An area that lies especially close to Dr Oduyoye’s heart is that of storytelling, and the use of language. Therefore, a driving force behind her work has been the question: “How do we communicate what we believe as Christians?”

Writing in a way people can understand
This question led Dr Oduyoye on her journey to vernacularise theological language, and it became her mode of writing. “Very seldom will you find the classical or official theological language in my writing, because I’m writing as if I’m speaking to a youth group, a women’s group – or even my grandmother.” In this way, communication became her focal point to present Christianity in such a way that people can understand it, thus rendering it relevant to the situation in Africa.

Changes toward inclusive language
Dr Oduyoye has gone on to author four books and over eighty articles on theology from a feminist perspective. And after toiling for many years, Dr Oduyoye can now see the changes emerging – especially in the US – as Bibles, lectionaries, and hymns are increasingly adopting an inclusive language, giving women a presence and voice within the church.

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