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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

What did they learn at Stanford University?

2015-11-04

Members of the cohort with the
Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS,
Prof Jonathan Jansen

Every year, since 2012, six second-year Kovsies are selected to take part in the elite Stanford Sophomore College Programme at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States. The University of the Free State and Oxford University are the only non-Stanford members of this exclusive course.

From 31 August to 15 September 2015, Farzaana Adam, Cornel Vermaak, Precious Mokwala, Tristan Van Der Spuy, Anje Venter, and Naushad Mayat undertook a three-week long academic exploration of multidisciplinary topics. These students attended seminars aligned with their respective fields of study from which they accumulated a wealth of knowledge.

This year’s cohort reflects on what they learned at Stanford University:

The significance of analyzing technology

One of the key points gathered by Farzaana Adam from the seminar, ‘Great Ideas in Computer Science’, was the necessity not to approach technology at face value. “Computer science goes beyond the technological products and social networks. By analysing the concepts underlying these technologies, many discoveries which have benefitted many fields of study have been made possible.”

Critical thinking in Arts and Science

“By combining different fields of study, one can obtain a greater perspective on the relevant fields,” said Cornel Vermaak, about what he garnered from a seminar titled ‘An Exploration of Art Materials: An intersection between the Arts and Science’. “This greater perspective enables one to evaluate problems critically,” he added.

Visual media substitutes oral narratives

“We were also taught different ways in which to interpret images, and how images influence society. Photography is a way to tell a story without actually having to say anything,” reflected Precious Mokwala, on ‘Photography: truth or fiction’

A lesson in business economics

Tristan Van Der Spuy received pointers pertaining to the stock exchange market in ‘A Random Walk Down Wall Street’. “We looked at stock markets, and what influenced the stock prices of multiple companies, taking note of what should be looked at when investing in a company.”

Race relations and representation

‘The New Millenium Mix: Crossings between Race and Culture’ exposed Anje Venter to a global perspective on identity. “We explored the new generation of people that have mixed races and cultures, and how they are depicted in media and art. We analysed the discrepancies and stereotypes of these depictions through film, novel, and short story studies, as well as through field trips to museums and art exhibitions.”

Overcoming the HIV/AIDS endemic

Naushad Mayat realised that “more teamwork and transparency between governments, chemists, social workers, and clinicians will be required for us to stem the flow [of HIV/AIDS],” in view of what he learned in a seminar on ‘HIV/AIDS: A Response to the AIDS Epidemic in the Bay Area’. “It is a daunting task. For the current generation of youth to tackle this epidemic now, we must stand together and be counted,” he added.

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