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Innovative wool creations shine at Karoo Winter Wool Festival

25 June 2024 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Carine van Zyl

OVK Innovation Competition Gala Event 2024 — The prize winners at the gala evening of the OVK Innovation Competition on 13 June 2024. From the left, in front: Emily Segame, Sophia Mekhoe, Sarah Lenong, Maserame Sebonyane, Ntabiseng Ndabeni. At the back: Elizabeth Mnwana, Carlize van Zyl (winner of the competition), Carien Vorster, Jana Vermaas, Doretha Jacobs, and Nelly Olayi.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Wool Wise Community Project was recognised for its innovative use of wool, receiving accolades at the OVK Innovation Competition held in conjunction with the Karoo Winter Wool Festival in Middelburg from 13–16 June 2024.According to Carien Vorster, project manager from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, participants were tasked with crafting practical items from wool. Their creativity shone through in their design of a lampshade, earning them second place. Doretha Jacobs, a lecturer in the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, focused on making felt from Dorper fibre, noting that while Dorper sheep are primarily bred for meat, they sought to repurpose fibres that would otherwise be discarded.

The team achieved third place with their cushion, featuring a front made entirely of merino wool felt and a back crafted from upholstery fabric. “Each cushion contains a 100% duck feather inner, and their uniqueness lies in the hand-dyed wool and hand-placed designs on each felt piece,” explains Vorster.

Other notable entries from different teams included a duvet inner, shoe insoles, and oven gloves. The top prize went to a hand-felted coat.

Community project empowers local women in wool craft

The UFS Wool Wise Community Project originated as a spin-off from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building (Ruforum) project, initiated in 2019 by the UFS Department for Sustainable Food Systems and Development.

According to Vorster, the Ruforum project encompasses various components such as research, farmer support, and community development, with a particular emphasis on community upliftment programmes. "Since 2019, we have conducted numerous wool workshops and training sessions where local women have participated to learn about wool processing," she explains.

"From these events, we identified women who are now integral to our programme. Their skills range from sewing, felt making, and hand embroidery, to knitting."

The project features eight women who create diverse products from scratch: Elizabeth Mnwana, Emily Segame, Georgina Collins, Maserame Sebonyane, Nelly Olayi, Sarah Lenong, Sophia Mekhoe, and Ntabiseng Ndabeni.

She emphasises that the project also manufactures conference bags for various events and stands as one of UFS's most successful community initiatives. "Ultimately, this project has the potential to become self-sustaining, with proceeds supporting the salaries of the eight women," Vorster concludes.

Competition boosts visibility and market reach

Participating in initiatives like the OVK Innovation Competition motivates them to stay current and benchmark their efforts against other businesses or individuals involved in felt product creation.

"Winning a competition can also significantly uplift team morale," remarks Vorster.

"Securing second and third place in this competition translates to increased visibility and marketing opportunities for us. This is crucial as we aim to expand our market reach and establish a sustainable income stream for the project," she concludes.

A worker packs the carded wool in layers preparing for the felting process.

The cushion (in front), secured the team third place at the OVK Innovation Competition.

The lampshade secured the team second place at the OVK Innovation Competition.

News Archive

International speakers discuss diversity

2014-02-11

Dr Charles Alexander from UCLA
Photo: O'Ryan Heideman

International and local experts recently gathered on the Bloemfontein Campus to deliberate over the topic of diversity.

Student participation and mobility dramatically increased in higher education worldwide. Cultural, political, economic and social factors on a national and global scale, have brought the reality of diversity into the operational spaces of Higher Education Institutions. These challenges are not exclusive to South Africa, though. In the Netherlands and USA, universities are also challenged by the demands of an increasingly diverse student population.

Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, acted as one of the keynote speakers during a two-day colloquium hosted by the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice. In an impelling address, Prof Jansen argued that change cannot be affected on a university campus if the surrounding community does not change as well. He also noted the spread of a culture of silence surrounding issues of misbehaviour. He urged that we need to find courage again to speak out. From the level of government, media and churches to the private spaces of our homes, we have to co-create an environment of care.

This message closely tied in with that of Prof Shirley Tate’s from the University of Leeds. In her keynote, she asserted that mere tolerance of someone different from you can lead to even more alienation. The path to true reconciliation is grounded in the intimacy of friendship. Friendship and empathy lead to trust and transcend racism.

Another keynote speaker from abroad, Dr Charles Alexander from the University of California, delineated a model for inclusive excellence. He explained that the major problem of true transformation is not due to a lack of ideas, but in the implementation thereof. “Realities of implementation short circuit the change process,” he said. He explained how campus environments can adapt in order to support and enhance lasting inclusivity.

We have to become complicit in the process of transformation, Prof Dr Ghorashi, Professor of Diversity and Integration at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, conveyed. Linking up with the issue of silence, she demonstrated the power of speaking out, using examples from her extensive research among victims of violence. It is imperative, she maintains, that for transformation to materialise, we need to create safe spaces in which we can share our vulnerabilities.

Footnote: Due to unfortunate circumstances, both Prof Dr Ghorashi and Prof Shirley Tate could not personally attend the colloquium as planned. Their respective keynotes were read to the audience on their behalf.

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