Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Months
January February March May April June July August September October
Previous Archive
24 October 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Skills Festival
Lutho Xamlashe – a third-year Bachelor of Administration student – from ACCESS, showing Bokamoso Makae how to crochet. Makae says she wants to learn as much as possible at the Learning Festival.
Held under the theme Building self-reliance, self-sufficiency, self-sustainable livelihoods for responsible societal futures, the Directorate Community Engagement at the University of the Free State’s Learning Festival this year created a space for lively interaction and practical learning. With about 150 people taking part each day, the atmosphere was alive with energy, a will to learn, and a real sense of people helping one another to live more independently and make the most of what they have.

Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement, captured the spirit of the event perfectly: “Self-reliance begins when we share what we know and use what we have. Together, we can transform communities from the ground up. With an unemployment rate of about 33,2%, and 40,1% of the population on social grants, the Learning Festival is a contribution towards helping individuals and communities make a shift from charity and unemployment to taking responsibility for their own sustainable livelihoods.”

“Self-reliance refers to the ability to depend on oneself for support and fulfilment, without relying on others. It involves acquiring knowledge and skills to access and use resources to make a living. On the other hand, self-sufficiency refers to the ability to meet one's own needs without external assistance. It involves the ability to provide for oneself in terms of food, shelter, and other necessities.”

From worm farming to furniture making, steel manufacturing, food security, herbal and cosmetic manufacturing, and even a Mend-a-Thon, participants gained hands-on experience in turning everyday resources into opportunities.

 

A celebration of practical learning

The line-up of workshops and demonstrations showed just how many ways there are to make the most of what we have. The ACCESS UFS student organisation led sessions on Worm Farming and Eco-Vernacular Architecture, teaching participants how to build with eco-bricks and run small-scale worm farms as income-generating projects.

Golukisa Trading Construction hosted a Furniture Manufacturing workshop, equipping local artisans with carpentry skills. These skills have already sparked success stories, such as that of Katlego Mpoihi, who launched his business after attending a previous learning festival.

Benjamin Nhlapo from Seotlong Agriculture and Hotel School in Phuthaditjhaba trained attendees about poultry farming, while Jurie Nel from JG Electronics introduced participants to printing, needlework, and bag manufacturing. Using state-of-the-art, yet affordable equipment, participants learned how to start small businesses through creative printing and design, inspiring a new generation of social entrepreneurs.

Thomas Tsintsing from The Engineered Movement shared skills on how to design and manufacture metal products, including fireplaces.

Another highlight was the Mend-a-Thon, facilitated by Doretha Jacobs from the Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development and supported by ACCESS students. This session taught hand needlework, crochet, and denim repair, breathing new life into old clothes and celebrating the joy of making something by hand. Participants beamed with pride, many saying, “I can’t believe it. I made this myself!”

 

Innovation and inspiration

From presentations to hands-on demonstrations, the festival was full of fresh ideas and practical inspiration. Willem Ellis, Research Associate in the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies, explored how social innovation fuels community transformation through empathy, creativity, and collaboration. Matseliso Achilonu from Devoni Natural shared how herbs can be turned into market-ready cosmetics, proving that nature and business can grow hand in hand.

Nutrition also took centre stage, with Ermi Spies from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics highlighting the important link between well-being and sustainable living. Honours students from the Department of Psychology presented their Well-being in Action infographics, promoting mental and social wellness in community spaces.

Thabo Olivier of Let’s Grow Food © captivated audiences with practical sessions on establishing sustainable food security through self-reliance, showing how small backyard gardens can feed families and help communities thrive together. Robert Mitchell, founder of Robs Handyman Services, demonstrated how wooden pallets can be repurposed into creative, sellable products – an inspiring example of social entrepreneurship in action.

The festival also featured exhibits such as Daniel Moloi’s Agape Foundation stall, showcasing the health benefits of rosehip juice, and the Itemoheleng Soy Project from Qwaqwa, which demonstrated soy-based food products for better nutrition. Meanwhile, the UFS Library Makerspace wowed visitors with robotics and creative design tools, inspiring a new wave of innovation.

And just when visitors thought they had seen it all, creativity took another turn. The stall of Corne Thomas from Puzzles of Impact showed how developing practical and life skills can help people find purpose and belonging by repurposing old videotapes into crochet items as a creative example.

The 2025 festival introduced a more interactive format than previous years, with more parallel workshops and matchmaking sessions between government departments, communities, and organisations. It was in these conversations and hands-on moments that the true impact of the festival came to life. One participant summed up the impact beautifully: “I have learned that my skills as a public speaker will change: from now on, my ‘voice’ will have an ‘invoice’.”

 

Empowering communities through knowledge and practical skills

Dr Karen Venter, Assistant Director and Head of Service Learning, added that the festival aligns with the broader goals of the Directorate for Community Engagement: “It perfectly mirrors the directorate’s mission to promote engaged scholarship and collaborative community development. By connecting the university’s academic expertise with local community needs, it fosters innovation, inclusivity, and sustainable impact, embodying the UFS’ commitment to social responsibility and partnership building.”

According to Dr Venter, the event left a lasting impact on participants and their communities. “Attendees left equipped – not just with new skills, but also with partnerships, ideas, and confidence to implement self-sustaining initiatives in their communities for socially responsible futures,” she says.

News Archive

UV vestig hom afgelope eeu as leier op verskeie terreine
2004-05-11

Michelle O'Connor - Volksblad - 11 Mei 2004

Ondank terugslae nou 'n 'gesonde volwassene'

HOEWEL die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) vanjaar sy eeufees vier en met 23 000 studente die grootste universiteit in die sentrale deel van die land is, was dié instelling se geboorte glad nie maklik nie. MICHELÉ O'CONNOR het met prof. Frederick Fourie, rektor, oor die nederige begin van dié instelling gesels.

DIE behoefte aan 'n eie universiteit in die Vrystaat het reeds in 1855, kort ná die stigting van Grey-kollege, kop uitgesteek.

Grey se manne het hulleself teen 1890 begin voorberei om die intermediêre B.A.-eksamens af te lê. Dié eksamen het hulle toegang gegee tot die tweede jaar van 'n B.A.-graad aan die destydse University of the Cape Good Hope, nou die Universiteit van Kaapstad.

"Presidente F.W. Reitz en M.T. Steyn het destyds albei die stigting van 'n universiteit hier bepleit. Die grootste rede was sodat die seuns van die Vrystaat nie weggestuur word nie.

"Dié twee se droom is op 28 Januarie 1904 bewaarheid toe ses studente hulle onder dr. Johannes Bril, as hoof/rektor van Grey-kollege, vir die graad B.A. ingeskryf het. Dié graad is aanvanklik deur die Kaapse universiteit toegeken.

"Net die klassieke tale soos Latyns en Grieks, die moderne tale, Nederlands, Duits en Engels, filosofie, geskiedenis, wiskunde, fisika, chemie, plant- en dierkunde is aanvanklik aangebied.

"Die UV se geboue het gegroei van 'n klein tweevertrek-geboutjie wat nou naby Huis Abraham Fischer staan, en verblyf in die Grey-kollege se seunskoshuis," sê Fourie.

Volgens hom is die universiteit se eerste raad en senaat tussen 1904 en 1920 saamgestel. Die eerste dosente is aangestel en die eerste geboue opgerig. "Dié tyd was egter baie moeilik.

"Die instelling het teen 1920 net 100 studente gehad en was geldelik in die knyp. Daar was geen vaste rektor nie en geen vooruitgang nie. Vrystaatse kinders is steeds na ander universiteite gestuur.

"Ds. J.D. Kestell, rektor van 1920 tot 1927, het egter dié instelling finaal gevestig.

"Hy het self studente van oor die hele Vrystaat gewerf en geld by onder meer kerke en banke ingesamel. Kestell het selfs Engelse ouers oortuig om hul kinders na die Greyuniversiteitskollege (GUK) te stuur en teen 1927 het dié instelling met 400 studente gespog.

"In die tydperk tussen 1927 en 1950 het die GUK weer verskeie terugslae beleef.

"In dié tyd was dit onder meer die Groot Depressie en die Tweede Wêreldoorlog. Die armblanke-vraagstuk het regstreeks op studente en dosente ingewerk en die politieke onderstrominge van dié tyd het die instelling ontwrig.

"Die GUK het egter oorleef en die Universiteitskollege van die Oranje-Vrystaat (UKOVS) is in 1935 gebore," sê Fourie.

Hy sê in dié tyd is verskeie fakulteite gevestig en teen 1950 het die UKOVS met 1 000 studente gespog.

Teen 1950 het dit 'n onafhanklike universiteit geword en die naam is verander na die Universiteit van die OranjeVrystaat (UOVS).

Dié tydperk is gekenmerk deur Afrikaner- en blanke selfvertroue en heerskappy. Studentegetalle het tot 7 000 in 1975 gegroei en heelwat vooruitgang het in dié tyd plaasgevind.

"Tussen 1976 en 1989 sukkel dieuniversiteit weer met onder meer ekonomiese krisisse, die land se politieke onstabiliteit en word die UOVS geï soleer.

"Een ligpunt in dié tyd is die toelating van die eerste swart studente, die nuwe Sasol-biblioteek en die fakulteit teologie wat die lig sien.

"Tussen 1990 en vanjaar het die UOVS verskeie op- en afdraandes beleef. Die universiteit doen nie net die eerste stappe van transformasie nie, maar begin ook aan 'n beleid van multikulturaliteit werk.

"Die UOVS se naam verander in 1996 na die Universiteit van die Vrystaat/University of the Free State en in 2001 word die Sotho-vertaling bygevoeg.

"Geldelike druk en probleme neem drasties toe en personeel word gerasionaliseer.

"Teen 2000 begin die UV met 'n draaistrategie en studentegetalle neem tot meer as 23 000 toe," sê Fourie.

Hy sê die UV het die afgelope eeu nie net verskeie terugslae oorleef nie, maar homself ook op verskeie gebiede as 'n leier gevestig.

Die universiteit behaal sy eie geldelike mikpunte, neem 'n nuwe taalbeleid van veeltaligheid aan en herbelê in personeel.

Die instelling inkorporeer die kampusse van die Vista- en Qwaqwa-universiteit en groei internasionaal.

Die UV vestig ook fondamente van 'n institusionele kultuur van verdraagsaamheid, geregtigheid en diversiteit.

"Die baba het in die afgelope eeu 'n gesonde volwassene geword."

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