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08 November 2024
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Story Jacky Tshokwe
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Photo Supplied
The Kingdom Vision Foundation (KVF) management team took part in the annual Social Impact Innovation Awards organised by the SAB Foundation.
In September, the Kingdom Vision Foundation (KVF) management team took part in the annual Social Impact Innovation Awards, organised by the SAB Foundation. This competition included a three-day workshop, during which participants received mentorship on enhancing their business models to maximise sustainable impact. Participants also crafted a four-minute business pitch, which they delivered to a panel of independent judges from sectors such as business, health, education, and government. At the end of the workshop, winners were chosen based on the impact of their innovation, the strength of their business model, and the likelihood of future success.
On 10 October, the management team attended the Innovation Awards Ceremony, where KVF was honoured with the Development Award worth R700 000. In addition to the grant, KVF will participate in a 15-month business coaching and mentorship programme in 2025, through which the SAB Foundation’s coaching team will support them in expanding and scaling their impact across South Africa.
The funding will enhance both the Kovsie Health and Anchor of Hope eye clinics, which are collaborating with the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Optometry to provide affordable eye care to thousands of students and community members. The project aims to improve the quality of education for Optometry students, helping them experience the positive change they can drive through social impact. KVF’s vision includes a future at Kovsie Health where every student’s visual needs are met, regardless of financial constraints, and a thriving Anchor of Hope clinic that brings the gift of sight and renewed hope to rural communities around Bloemfontein.
NASA Deep Space Navigation engineer presents at Naval Hill Planetarium
2017-03-30
From the left: Chris du Plessis; US Consulate, Johannesburg,
Prof Petrus Meintjes; Dept of Physics UFS, Christopher Jacobs;
NASA, and Anthony Deaton; US Consulate Johannesburg.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin
The University of the Free State (UFS) hosted NASA Deep Space engineer Christopher Jacobs on 27 March 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus. The engagement was hosted by Prof Matie Hoffman of the Department of Physics and the Department of Institutional Advancement, in collaboration with the US Consulate General in Johannesburg.
Jacobs is stationed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at the California Institute of Technology and has served as the Reference Frame Calibration task manager for 25 years. In this role he has been responsible for delivering the reference frames used to navigate NASA missions such as the Mars Science Laboratory to planetary targets.
His visit to the UFS included a presentation to the Department of Astrophysics at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and at the Naval Hill Planetarium in Bloemfontein where he spoke on Stellar GPS: Navigating the Solar System. He also spoke about the latest research and developments at NASA in Astrometry. The visit will establish and develop shared interests and possible collaboration with UFS and other institutions of interest in the country. “South Africa, because of its well-placed geographic location in the southern hemisphere, holds a lot of answers to astronomy,” Jacobs said.
He has an active interest in professional and public education, and outreach, having given public lectures around the world. “Astronomy brings people together and is a point of common interest that is key in solving environmental and geographical challenges such as climate change, therefore global cooperation is important,” he said.
Prof Hoffman welcomed the initiative by the US Consulate and the possible outcomes of joint efforts to position the UFS as a key partner in South Africa on NASA’s astronomy projects. In the coming weeks Jacobs will speak at high schools in Gauteng including the Mae Jemison US Science Reading Room in Mamelodi, Pretoria, a centre that is focused on promoting science education.