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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

Right to Learn campaign seeks to fund financially needy students

2015-11-11

SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, pledges financial support to the Right to Learn campaign.
Photo: Tango Twasa

In response to the dire need for financial relief for academically deserving students from underprivileged backgrounds, the Student Representative Council (SRC) of the University of the Free State (UFS) launched the Right to Learn campaign on Friday 30 October 2015. The campaign, which aims to counter deregistration, was initiated following the national #FeesMustFall campaign, which gained momentum after students from the University of Witwatersrand first mobilised against the proposed fee increases for 2016.

The SRC’s Projects Committee realised that, although President Jacob Zuma had consented to a 0% increment, the lack of an increase would not eliminate the financial burden currently facing some students.

“The campaign was conceived at the SRC’s strategic planning meeting, and is now spearheaded by the SRCs Projects Committee,” said Letsika Leqoalane, SRC: Academic Affairs. “The campaign was founded on the university's value of ‘Superior Scholarship’ and the SRC’s value of reducing student financial exclusions,” he added.

Students in pursuit of continued access to education

The Right to Learn campaign was established as a supplementary initiative to the #FeesMustFall movement. “The Right to Learn campaign is an initiative to raise funds for students who are facing financial exclusion in the coming year,” said the SRC Academics Affairs officer.

All proceeds will be channeled towards reducing the number of students who will face de-registration in 2016, the SRC textbook bursary, and food bursaries. “This campaign stands on three pillars, namely: no to de-registration, no to student food insecurity, and yes to textbooks,” explained Leqoalane.

A call for support

According to SRC President, Lindokuhle Ntuli, “SRC members have made pledges of no less than R500 each from their own pockets.” The SRC is appealing to the UFS community to make donations into the campaign bank account, and thereafter to email the proof of payment to Ntuli at NtuliL@ufs.ac.za. The account details are:

Account number: 15-7085-0721 ABSA Bank Branch
Reference: SRC FUND
Branch Code: 632005 Cheque Account
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ

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