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UFS Community Engagement Indaba highlights sustainability solutions

24 July 2024 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

2024 Community Engagement Indaba — Attendees engage with community partners at information stalls showcasing innovative sustainability practices.

The Directorate Community Engagement at the University of the Free State (UFS) held its second Community Engagement Indaba on the institution’s Bloemfontein Campus this year.

The indaba, which was attended by a group of 130 academics, students, learners, NGOs, community partners, and community members, was titled Building Self-reliance, Self-sufficiency, Self-sustainable Livelihoods for Entrepreneurship, exploring new ways of addressing poverty, unemployment, lack of resources, and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, who is heading the Directorate Community Engagement, said that in challenging times where rising unemployment and poverty cast shadows over communities, he believes the theme of self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and self-sustainable living is applicable and timely; these are cornerstones of empowerment. According to him, the indaba is not just about theory, it is about action. “Together, we’ll explore practical steps, redefine our understanding of ‘JOB’ versus ‘WORK’, and unlock pathways towards entrepreneurship,” he commented.

Day one of the two-day event featured presentations on various topics. One of the speakers, Nontombi Velelo – a PhD candidate and Programme Director for the Bachelor of Social Science in the Faculty of The Humanities, addressed self-sufficiency and sustainable livelihoods. Dr Grey Magaiza, Lecturer and Head of the Community Development Programme on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus, discussed the significance of community development for societal impact. The theme of personal development and transformation was explored by Dr Rosaline Sebolao, Teaching and Learning Manager in the Faculty of The Humanities. Prof Jan Swanepoel – Associate Professor in the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development – presented insights on subsistence farming with livestock.

Another notable addition was a presentation by Danie Jacobs, the founder and executive director of Young Entrepreneurs Virtual Academy, who introduced the Intentional Entrepreneurial and Skills Development Ecosystem Model. He focused on an ecosystem model designed to introduce entrepreneurship to children in schools, fostering an entrepreneurial mindset from a young age up to school leavers (kids, teens and young adults). These sessions provided invaluable learning opportunities, offering attendees practical insights and knowledge that can be applied to enhance personal growth.

Personal development and health

The Central University of Technology (CUT) contributed several engaging stalls to this year's indaba. Attendees explored the potential of 3D printing, delved into innovation – with insights from Rosita Rhode, Career Development Coordinator – and gained valuable tips on CV writing skills.

Another notable presenter was Ntsiuoa Kobo, a natural herbalist from Ditlakala Organics in Tweespruit, who shared her extensive indigenous knowledge about herbs. Her display was supported by research related to indigenous knowledge, highlighting various traditional practices and their contemporary applications. In line with this presentation was the information shared by Dr Ida Manduna, an ethnobotanist at CUT, who talked about indigenous herb farming that fosters nutrition and health. Also interesting was the presentation of Wilfred Dahli from Tala Growers, who informed the attendees about cannabis cultivation and products. The Agape Foundation from Qwaqwa introduced attendees to rose hip berry juice and also shared indigenous knowledge about herbs known for their medicinal properties, including anti-fungal and anti-bacterial benefits, as well as being a rich source of vitamin C.

The event featured several workshops, which attracted a lot of attention. Active Community Citizens through Engaged Scholarship for Sustainability (ACCESS) conducted a workshop on worm farming, led by students who shared their expertise. The eco-bricks workshop, led by Lenosa Mahapang, an artist and environmentalist, and Dr Anita Venter, a researcher and climate activist in the Centre for Development Support, captivated attendees. The session included a pre-motivational talk on the dangers of plastic pollution and highlighted the role of eco-bricks in environmental sustainability.

A particularly innovative workshop demonstrated how to create raised garden beds from recycled pallets – highlighting the opportunity to start a micro-enterprise. The workshop, presented by Katlego Mpoihi from Golukisa General Trading, is part of an initiative with the Carel du Toit School to teach learners and community partners how to build these beds. The community has a larger vision – developing maize-formed gardens, which would serve as a stimulating environment for children and contribute to food availability.

Thabo Olivier energetically also led a workshop on food security, sharing innovative ideas and practices. Notably, an attendee from last year’s event successfully applied Olivier's potato cultivation idea. In response, Olivier provided him with a bag of potatoes that has the potential to yield a harvest of 500 kg. This practical application highlighted the impactful and lasting benefits of the knowledge shared at these workshops.

Attendees were also captivated by a presentation on the production of biogas as a renewable energy source, delivered by Dr Christy Stephen, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Centre for Applied Food Sustainability and Biotechnology at CUT.

Gift of the Givers introduced the Mina Cup – a menstrual cup designed to last five years – offering a more economical and sustainable alternative to traditional sanitary products. In an effort to empower young women and end ‘period poverty’, Community Liaison Officer Kefiloe Chuene dispelled myths and spoke frankly about menstruation. According to Dr Karen Venter, Head of Service Learning in the Directorate Community Engagement, this project – part of the health and well-being initiative by ACCESS, which is driving a menstrual health campaign – would also be incorporated into the service-learning module of second-year Nursing students in the Bachelor of Nursing Programme in the School of Nursing.

"These information stalls brought unique insights and knowledge to the event," said Dr Venter.

Education and entrepreneurship

Other engaging stalls included a booth for making cast-iron fireplaces, and another offered CV writing skills. These stalls provided practical skills and knowledge applicable to various professional and personal development areas.

According to Dr Venter, the impact of the indaba stood out to her. “The workshops had a profound impact on attendees, reinforcing the UFS’ values of sustainability in various ways.”

The indaba also aligned with the UFS' Vision 130, which emphasises care for the community. By providing valuable opportunities for attendees to engage with community partners, learn about innovative practices, and explore the intersections of traditional knowledge and modern applications, the event fostered a sense of community and shared purpose. It demonstrated the university’s commitment to creating a sustainable and caring environment, both within the university and in the broader community.

News Archive

“My time at the UFS was the golden gem of my career”

2016-07-04

Description: Zig Gibson Tags: Zig Gibson

Prof Alan St Clair Gibson
Photo: Oteng Mpete

“My time at the University of the Free State (UFS) was the golden gem of my career. I have worked at medical schools or biomedical research centres in the United Kingdom, United States and at some of the top medical schools in South Africa, but working at the UFS was one of the highlights of my career,” says Prof Alan St Clair Gibson, Head of the UFS School of Medicine.

After spending just over two years at the UFS, Prof St Clair Gibson resigned from the institution in June 2016 and will take up the position of Dean: Health and Human Performance Sciences at the Waikato University in New Zealand in mid-July, where he will assist to establish a new faculty for all the health-science disciplines. “It was a privilege to work at the UFS. I come from a strong research background and wanted to grow research at the university, which I achieved. I came to the UFS because of the Academic and Human Projects and am proud of what has been achieved at the School of Medicine during the time I was here,” he said.

Prof St Clair Gibson highlighted some of these achievements, including the development of a management infrastructure across the disciplines of the school. “The establishment of an executive management committee for the school, as well as research champions in departments, highlighted the importance of proper governance and strategic management. By developing data dashboards, my management team and I could develop an understanding of research income and productivity, how the school works, what the role of teaching and learning is, and how the school could benefit in terms of third-stream income from the many contracts obtained by its academic staff. As a result, contracts and the financial management model of the school have also been reconfigured to the benefit of the university so that the institution and school can benefit from it,” he said.

His strong belief in an open-door policy has made staff feel part of the environment and it has created an atmosphere of equality and inclusivity. He believes in staff development and has, for instance, established leadership and management courses for heads of departments. Another factor to be proud of is the increase in the number of young researchers who recently joined the school, such as Prof Ross Tucker, who is one of the foremost sport scientists in the country. “It is a fact that staff retire or resign in all schools and departments of any university. It is also true that these departures offer opportunities to bring new academic and professional staff into the UFS. In fact, for the first time virtually every department in the School of Medicine now has a full-time Head of Department and 46 new staff were appointed since January 2015,” said Prof St Clair Gibson.

“I am especially proud of contributing, together with the senior leadership of the UFS, to stabilise the relationship with the Free State Department of Health (DoH). With the assistance of these parties, as well as my executive management team, we could find a better way of working together to the benefit of the school and the province.’’

Transforming the student profile to be representative of the country’s demographics is another milestone Prof St Clair Gibson will remember. “The intake of black and white students is of such a nature that we now have a much more balanced ratio of black and white undergraduate students than before.”

“I wanted to stay longer to see the effect of all the changes I made at the school, but the deanship is an offer I cannot refuse. I would have liked to see a steadier increase in the number of permanent clinical staff and have worked hard with both the UFS management and the DoH to try and achieve that; but more work needs to be done.”

I have worked with a number of fantastic staff members at the school, who are determined to do good in a challenging environment. I am amazed at the energy of the university leadership and how the Human and Academic Projects are executed. My wish for the university is to maintain and grow its standards and for the School of Medicine to maintain its reputation as one of the best schools in the country. I will always be a proud alumnus of the UFS,” he said.

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