Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

Celebrating diversity: UFS hosts vibrant Multilingual Mokete

25 September 2024 | Story Teboho Mositi | Photo Ian van Straaten

Qwaqwa Mokete 2024 — The University of the Free State Qwaqwa Campus celebrated diversity as the Academy of Multilingualism recently hosted the Kovsies Multilingual Mokete, themed: ‘Our Diversity is Our Strength.

The University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus pulsed with vibrant energy on 13 September 2024 as the Academy of Multilingualism hosted its annual Kovsies Multilingual Mokete. This year's theme, ‘Our Diversity is Our Strength’, resonated throughout the day, celebrating the richness of languages and cultures within the UFS community.

The event served as a platform for students and staff to showcase their diverse heritages through traditional attire, poetry, storytelling, drama, music, and dance. A delectable spread of cultural cuisine further enriched the experience, fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Promoting inclusivity and multilingualism

The Mokete aligns with the UFS' multilingual language policy, implemented in 2016. This policy emphasises the importance of fostering inclusivity and social cohesion through language. It aims to create a dynamic learning environment that celebrates the diverse languages spoken within the UFS community.

In her welcome address, the Director of the Academy for Multilingualism, Dr Nomalungelo Ngubane, said the University of the Free State took a significant step in 2016 towards fostering a more inclusive and diverse campus by adopting a multilingual language policy. This policy recognised the importance of embracing multilingualism as a social asset and aimed to promote social cohesion, diversity, and inclusivity. “The Mokete Multilingual Festival serves as a tangible manifestation of this commitment. It provides a platform for all members of our UFS community to celebrate and appreciate the rich tapestry of languages, cultures, and traditions that we bring to our university. By showcasing our diverse languages, indigenous food, traditional outfits, and more, we not only honour our individual heritage but also strengthen our sense of belonging and unity,” explained Dr Ngubane.

The Mokete is more than just a cultural event; it is a purposeful act of embracing our diversity and educating one another about the value of multilingualism. Through this celebration, we strive to create a more inclusive and cohesive campus where everyone feels valued and respected.

"We want everyone to feel welcome on our campuses," stated Teboho Manchu, Campus Vice-Principal: Support Services, during his opening address. "The Mokete allows each culture and language group to learn from one another, preparing our students for a multilingual and multicultural world, while staying connected to their own heritage."

A celebration of talent and cultural expression

The day unfolded with heart-warming moments of appreciation. Manchu extended his gratitude to distinguished guests, colleagues, and students. The highlight of the event was Ntate Stunna, a captivating Sesotho musician who energised the audience with his music. Local artists Bomme ba Ipopeng and Tears of Joy also contributed to the electrifying atmosphere. Their performances, alongside the diverse cultural presentations, fostered a sense of pride and identity within the UFS community.

A commitment to a language-rich environment

The Kovsies Multilingual Mokete exemplifies the UFS' commitment to multilingualism. By celebrating diverse languages and cultures, the university fosters a sense of belonging and prepares its students for success in a globalised world.

News Archive

Literacy Month fosters the love of reading

2017-09-19

Vutivi Baloyi author of Keep Hoping with Neo Kgoroba
one of the co-authors of In Our Own Words.

Literacy Month is celebrated in September each year at the University of the Free State (UFS) with various activities that are academic and community related and aim to join different departments in collaborative efforts to carry forward an awareness of literacy and the joy of reading among learners. The UFS Sasol Library lined up a series of events to celebrate the month, one of them being the launch of two books on 14 September 2017.

Vutivi Baloyi is a UFS student who wrote a collection of poems at the age of 17 which were recently published in a book called Keep Hoping. The book was launched alongside In Our Own Words, a collection of narratives written by UFS students about university life and transitioning from township high schools to a different culture, society and community, and the challenges with which they are faced.

In their own words, they share incredible experiences
The launch was attended by learners from Christian Liphoko High School in Thaba Nchu as well as Moroka High School and others. The compilation of narratives by UFS students was done under the auspices of Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom through the Enabling Success project in the Centre for Research in Higher Education. Prof Wilson-Strydom said the project, supported by the National Research Foundation, was a profound way of empowering students by bringing out the value of the stories of their life on campus as they saw them, with each student writing a chapter on a specific theme.

Students as change agents and community builders
The student authors spoke to their audience from the heart, sharing words of advice, especially to younger learners who are still in high school. This has sparked a desire for the beginning of collaborative programmes between the individual university students and high school learners who hail from Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu, highlighting the need for mentorship, life skills, academic improvement and an opportunity to give back.

The event is also part of the ongoing Launch Your Own Book project that has grown in 2017 at the UFS Library under the leadership of Mr Marcus Maphile, Assistant Director: Library Marketing and Community Engagement. Literacy Month will be celebrated with more events in September such as a round-table discussion in collaboration with the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association of South Africa (ANSAFA) on 20 September 2017 at the library, to discuss developing authors and the role of ANSAFA. More activities will include outreach and community engagement, with a visit to Christian Liphoko High School in Thaba Nchu on 21 September 2017.

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept