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UFS hosts festival promoting sustainability and entrepreneurship

10 April 2024 | Story Okuhle April | Photo SUPPLIED

Sustainability and entrepreneurship workshop 2024 — The UFS Community Engagement Festival showcased sustainability, entrepreneurship, and social justice initiatives as part of efforts to empower students.

The Engaged Scholarship Office at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the Community Engagement Festival, a week-long event focused on sustainability, entrepreneurship, and social justice for students. The festival, which forms part of the office’s broader Community Engagement project, showcased various activities and initiatives aimed at educating participants about these critical topics.

A standout feature of the festival, which was hosted on the UFS’s Bloemfontein Campus, was its emphasis on sustainability. Activities included crafting beads from recycled magazines into bracelets and making soap from eco-friendly material. Beyond promoting sustainability and entrepreneurship, the festival also aimed to foster social cohesion by helping first-year students navigate university life.

Gernus Terblanche, an assistant researcher who heads the Engaged Scholarship Office, emphasised the importance of such initiatives. “The Community Engagement project’s focal points are environmental affairs, social justice – where we make use of the hashtag #KovsiesCare – and health and wellness, where the project aims to raise awareness about menstrual health and find ways to assist with sustainable menstrual health,” he said.

The Community Engagement project has grown significantly over the past year, expanding from six members to a community of 200 individuals. Successful projects include a worm farming initiative for income generation, which teaches students how to cultivate and sell worms for composting.

With support from entities such as the KovsieACT office, CTM, the Bloem Shelter and the Bloemfontein National Hospital, the project has gained widespread recognition for its impactful work.

Additionally, the project’s efforts align with the graduate attributes of UFS’s Vision 130, which emphasises skills like communication, critical thinking, and professionalism. Terblanche highlighted the importance of these attributes in shaping well-rounded graduates.

Looking forward, the Community Engagement project plans to sustain its work, with upcoming initiatives like a sewing competition to further engage and empower students within the university community.

News Archive

Right to Learn cyclists still solid on the pedals

2017-11-29

Asive Dlanjwa, Bloemfontein Campus SRC President, on the
morning of their departure from Bloemfontein.
Photo: Nhlanhla Modzanane

It is a new day and the Right to Learn cycling team continues to make its way to Cape Town.The team arrived at their first stop in Luckhoff on day one, after cycling for 182 kilometres in five hours and five minutes. They left Luckhoff at 05:00 in the morning on day two, heading towards Britstown via De Aar and arrived at midday. On day three, the team will rest in Britstown and will continue cycling on day four, 30 November 2017, to Victoria West for 133 kilometres via Merriman.

Looking forward to another day
Asive Dlanjwa, Bloemfontein Campus SRC President, felt confident about day two despite the strong winds that they experienced along the way. “I’m feeling strong, I actually thought after day one that I’ll be feeling a bit weak, but I just don’t know how we are going to make it in this wind,” he says. Dlanjwa and his fellow cyclists cycled for 213 kilometres to Britstown, where they ended their race for day two.

Kovsies fully behind cycling team
The tour began on 27 November 2017 in Bloemfontein, when they were sent off by Prof Nicky Morgan, former Vice-Rector: Operations, Pura Mgolombane, Dean of Student Affairs, and their Kovsie peers. Prof Morgan encouraged the team to have a wonderful and enjoyable journey, acknowledging that the journey will not be an easy one. “I want you to know that you have the support of everyone here at the UFS,” he said.

Messages of support continue to pour in for the team on the UFS social media platforms. The Qwaqwa Campus SRC President, Hlalele Masopha, also sent his best wishes to his mate, saying, “I wish the President with his crew a quantity of good fortune and extremely good success.” He says, “This is for the betterment of the students and the institution.”

There have been no reports of any injuries or medical defects incurred by the cyclists nor the supporting team who are travelling with them. The team is expected to arrive in Cape Town on 4 December 2017.

You can make a donation as follows:

Give-n-gain page

EFT transaction:
Please use the following bank details:
Bank: ABSA Bank
Account Number: 1570850721
Branch Code: 632005
Account Type: Cheque
Reference: R2L: Right to Learn
Send the proof of payment Rinda Duraan: duraanmj@ufs.ac.za

Debit order: Download the form and email it to Rinda Duraan

All donations are tax deductible in terms of South African income tax legislation.

Related article:

27 November: Kovsies SRC President cycles to raise money for registration

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