Latest News Archive

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

GEADO donates sanitary towels to community development initiative

19 September 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Anthony Mthembu

As part of its ongoing Dignity Kit Awareness Campaign, launched in 2023, the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently contributed to a community development initiative titled ‘Give a Flower for a Change.’ A batch of sanitary towels was recently officially handed over at the UFS Bloemfontein Campus, facilitated by Geraldine Lengau, Senior Officer in the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice.

According to Lengau, GEADO has made several similar donations on campus, benefitting initiatives such as the ‘No Student Hungry’ (NSH) programme, staff members through the Office of Organisational Development and Employee Wellness, as well as student walk-ins, among others. This latest donation extends the reach of the Dignity Kit Campaign beyond the campus community. ‘’This forms part of our mandate to raise awareness, particularly in uplifting the dignity of women. It is essential for the university to provide these dignity kits, as it demonstrates its commitment to addressing gender-based violence, supporting survivors, and promoting awareness,’’ said Lengau. She further emphasised that such donations foster a broader effort by the university to create a culture of respect, empathy, and support for surrounding communities, thus advancing social justice as articulated in the UFS’s Vision 130 strategic plan.

Supporting Give a flower for a Change

The sanitary towels were handed over to Morwesi Malebo, founder of ‘Give a Flower for a Change’. According to Malebo, the initiative works closely with Unity Primary School in Bloemfontein, aiming to uplift the lives of children, particularly those from previously disadvantaged households. ‘’I have heard of instances at the school where some learners resorted to using cloth during their periods because they lacked access to sanitary towels,” Malebo shared. The donation will now help provide the necessary supplies to these children.

The initiative relies heavily on donations, accepting sanitary towels, school shoes, toiletries, and other essential items. Malebo stressed the significant impact of these contributions, noting that the learners are ‘’incredibly grateful, and the positive change in their lives is visible.” Without such resources, learners often feel self-conscious, which affects their performance at school. Collaborations with partners like GEADO, Malebo added, are crucial to the development of communities like hers. Consequently, she hopes to expand the initiative to high schools across Bloemfontein and maintain a strong partnership with GEADO.

News Archive

UFS honours young researchers

2006-02-10

Some of the guests attending the recognition function were from the left: Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS), Mr Joseph Smiles (lecturer at the UFS Department of Political Science and Thuthuka grant holder), Prof Frans Swanepoel (Director: Research Development at the UFS) and Dr Carlien Pohl (lecturer at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology and Thuthuka grant holder).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.
What is a Scholar

UFS honours young researchers

The University of the Free State (UFS) last night honoured 24 young researchers who are taking part in the National Research Fund’s (NRF) Thuthuka programme.

The recognition function is the first of its kind at the UFS. “The renewed focus on research development that was recently announced at the official opening of the UFS by the Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Frederick Fourie, is an indication of the institution’s endeavour to create an environment in which research can be improved and flourish. This can only be obtained when researchers are being valued and that is why it is important to honour our young researchers,” said Mrs Annelize Venter, researcher at the UFS Research Development Directorate and coordinator of the programme.

The focus on research was also touched on recently by President Thabo Mbeki during the opening of Parliament when he said: “We will continue to engage the leadership of our tertiary institutions focused on working with them to meet the nation’s expectations with regard to teaching and research. For its part, the government is determined to increase the resource allocation for research and development and innovation, and increase the pool of young researchers."

According to Mrs Venter, research done in 2004 shows that the majority researchers who publish are white males above the age of 50. “Many students who undertake magister studies choose not to conduct research, but rather to do a thesis and additional subjects. This means that research is not stimulated. Students also find it difficult to obtain financial support for postgraduate studies,” she explained.
“Thutuka is a capacity building programme of the NRF that is aimed to
fund and support the qualifications of women and young black scientists and other researchers who do not have a rating for postgraduate research. It is based on a funding partnership between the UFS and the NRF,” said Mrs Venter.

Last night Prof Frans Swanepoel, Director: Research Development at the UFS, added to his by saying: “With the Thuthuka programme we aim to create and sustain a research culture at the UFS, promote international research and train researchers of a high quality and enhance the research capacity at the UFS by focusing on women, black researchers and other promising researchers.”

The programme was started by the NRF in 2001. At that stage only 17 grants were made countrywide. Last year 370 postgraduate students took part in the programme.

According to Mrs Venter the programme was implemented at the UFS in 2003. “At that stage we only had 5 grant holders. This year there are 24 Ph D and magister students on the programme,” she said.

A couple of young promising researchers, who will be participating in the programme in 2007, also attended last night’s recognition function.

The guest speaker was Prof Jonathan Jansen, Dean: Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (UP). He gave tips to young and promising researchers on how to be an outstanding scholar.

Nine professors were also congratulated with their promotion to senior research professor, namely Proff Louise Cilliers (Department of English and Classical Languages), James du Preez (Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology), Johan Grobbelaar (Department of Plant Sciences), Dingie Janse van Rensburg (Centre for Health Systems Research and Development), Dap Louw (Department of Psychology), Philip Nel (Department of Afro-asiatic Studies and Language Practice and Sign Language), Louis Scott (Department of Plant Sciences), Dirk van den Berg (Department of History of Art) and Andries Raath (Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law).

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
10 February 2006

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