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28 October 2024
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Story Zingaphi Mdletshe
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Photo Supplied
Kovsie ACT volunteers undergo leadership and skills training, preparing them to engage in community service and develop sustainable solutions to societal challenges beyond university life.
The University of the Free State’s (UFS) Kovsie ACT office continues to foster a spirit of humanity among students through a leadership and skills development training initiative that is aimed at not only developing them as volunteers but also as conscientious individuals who understand the value of helping others.
“The leadership and skills development training is a platform that the ACT office utilises to ensure that volunteers are equipped with the necessary skills needed to fulfil their duties as Central ACT Committee members, thereby facilitating a smooth term,” said Teddy Sibiya, Senior Assistant Officer at Kovsie Support Services. “We aim to impart knowledge that will be beneficial during their term and beyond their involvement with the ACT office.”
Touching on how the training aligns with the broader goals of the Kovsie ACT Volunteer Programme for the term 2024/2025, Sibiya emphasised that sustainability has always been at the heart of Kovsie ACT and that their activities provide opportunities for students to engage in community service and participate in environmental initiatives to assist civil society organisations. The programme also encourages students to become active global citizens by addressing transnational issues such as food insecurity and socio-economic challenges.
“I am excited about the opportunity to be part of a movement that influences not just the lives of students but also reaches beyond the university, promoting innovative and sustainable solutions on a larger scale,” said Raylene Bussack, a Central ACT Committee volunteer. “My goal is to inspire and empower others to join us in this vital work to make a lasting difference together.”
In addition to leadership training, Kovsie ACT offers various programmes designed to enhance students' skills in areas such as communication, teamwork and project management. These skills are essential for their roles within Kovsie ACT and for their future careers. By participating in community service projects, students build valuable relationships and gain practical experience that will benefit them upon graduation. The initiative ultimately aims to create a culture of giving back among students while enriching their university experience.
Trevor Manuel and Max du Preez among the recipients of honorary doctorates at UFS graduation
2016-07-02
The UFS awarded four honorary doctorates
at its Winter Graduation ceremonies.
The recipients are from left Max du Preez,
Dr Reuel Jethro Khoza, Prof Joel Samoff
and Trevor Manuel at the UFS Chancellor’s
Dinner on 30 June 2016. Photo: Johan Roux
He is excited about the young minds he saw and interacted with at the graduation ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). This is what Max du Preez, one of South Africa’s leading journalists and political analysts, said after receiving an honorary doctorate.
According to Du Preez (Humanities), he was inspired by the Winter Graduation ceremony on 30 June 2016 in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. He is happy to finally also call the UFS his alma mater. He grew up in Kroonstad and is a true Free Stater, but previously graduated at the Stellenbosch University.
The UFS awarded four honorary doctorates – the others to Prof Joel Samoff (Humanities), Trevor Manuel and Dr Reuel Jethro Khoza (both Economic and Management Sciences) – and two Chancellor’s medals at the morning ceremony on 30 June 2016. Chancellor’s medals were awarded to Antony Osler and Marguerite van der Merwe (née Osler).
Manuel impressed by amount of soul
At the Chancellor’s Dinner, which was held in the Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus on 30 June 2016, Du Preez said he feels honoured. He said South Africans must embrace the diversity of the country, and the UFS is a good example. “If the University of the Free State can make it, South Africa can make it.”
Manuel, a former South African Finance Minister, said he is honoured by the amount of soul he experienced from Dr Khotso Mokhele, UFS Chancellor, and Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS. “We cannot tolerate what is wrong (in the country) and need to push the boundaries of what is right,” he said.
UFS stands out regarding understanding
Dr Khoza, a distinguished thinker and businessman, also thanked the UFS at the Chancellor’s Dinner. “We shall strive to be known less for what we say, but rather more for what we do,” he said about the country.
According to Prof Samoff, Professor in Africa Studies at Stanford University (USA), “South Africa has committed itself to building a democratic, non-racist, and non-sexist society”. “Where the University of the Free State stands out, is in its understanding that societal change – ‘transformation’, to use the current terminology – is not an outcome, but a process. A difficult process.”
Media Enquiries
Contact person: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27(0)51 401 3422/2707 or +27(0)83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27(0)51 444 6393