The annual Rhodes Community Engagement Awards took place recently at The Settlers Monument. Here are the finalists – and winners – in each category.
The annual Rhodes Community Engagement Awards took place recently at The Settlers Monument. Here are the finalists – and winners – in each category.
Nomsa Chemuru and Shingirai Katsinde are two pharmacy MA students who have dedicated themselves to sustainable health promotion interventions. Adopting a participatory research approach, they have developed health promotion materials to be used as part of health programmes by St Mary’s Development and Care Centre and Ubunye Foundation, two non-governmental organisations working in Glenmore, Ndwayana and Grahamstown. Working with community members from Gelnmore and Ndwayana area, Nomsa and Shingirai were assisted in identifying adolescent pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding as key research areas the community cared about. Employing a qualitative action research design based on CBPR principles and PEN-3 model, which emphasizes understanding of human behaviour as part of a wider cultural context, Nomsa and Shingirai worked closely with community health care workers, mothers and local NGOs. Apart from their MA research, Nomsa and Shingirai have volunteered to work on the Phelophepa Health Care Train and are active mentors in the Rhodes University Pharmacy Students’ Association (RUPSA). Nomsa and Shingirai have also volunteered in the Environmental Health promotion exhibit during the national Science Festival in 2015.
In 2015, Rhodes University, Namibian Society has implemented a number of successful community engagement projects, emphasizing sustainability and relationship building. Collaborating with Children of the Soil and Galela Amanzi, NamSoc has established an environmental partnership focusing on awareness raising at Good Shepard and Fikizolo primary schools. Namsoc has focused on food and water wastage, gardening as well as working with grade 4 learners at Fikizolo on physical education and health promotion. The partnerships Namsoc formed this year have been so successful, that they have been included in the society’s constitution, ensuring continuity and sustainability of the physical education programme. The society has participated in a clean-up of Sugar-Loaf Hill with Children of the Soil as well as participating in Trading Live for Mandela Week. In August, Namsoc organized the first “Togetherness Week” which brought together community members, schools and Rhodes students to raise awareness about physical health in the community. The successful events that took place over the week allowed the society to raise funds as well as showcase the power of relationships in reshaping a new society. As an international student society, Namsoc has showed immense dedication to building relationships in Grahamstown, exemplifying in their commitment to community engagement the spirit of pan-Africanism and Ubuntu.
In 2015, AMP’s programmes have grown, expanding the contributions they make to arts development and mentoring of young talent in Grahamstown. Early this year, AMP was involved in a multi-sectoral partnership with Rhodes Music Department, The Field band Foundation and Sakhuluntu Cultural Group to host bloco Malagasy: a drum ensemble from Madagascar. At the opening of the National Arts Festival this year, AMP’s performance and work was praised by the MEC of Eastern Cape Arts and Culture, Pemmy Mojadina. AMP leaners also participated in the Standard Bank Youth Festival, playing alongside other accomplished young performers from around the country. With 6 student volunteers in 2015, AMP has been able to expand its teaching repertoire to include singing, bass guitar, piano, violin and marimba. AMP learners have worked tirelessly to not only maintain high discipline and motivation, but excelled in all their goals for the year. 3 AMP learners have auditioned for the UCT school of music, aiming to follow in the footsteps of AMP graduate, Athenkosi Nelani, who obtained a full scholarship to pursue his BMus degree here at Rhodes. AMP’s partnership with AMI helped win the BASA small business award in Johannesburg this year.
The gentlemen from Guy Butler return to the CE Awards to reprise their 2014 title as Residence of the Year. In 2014, Guy Butler Residence worked consistently with two community programmes – Amasango Career School soccer training and the Chemistry department’s Khanya Maths and Science club. Since 2013, the residence has committed itself to building sustainable relationships with community organisations and encouraging a culture of volunteerism amongst the men in the residence. In 2015, the residence has partnered with GADRA education’s mentoring programme as well as Sophia Youngstar’s Football club. The residence has shown a clear understanding of the values and principles of community engagement, always working to build deep relationships with the organisations they partner with. It takes the road less travelled, thinking critically about how the various activities inform their values as a residence, offering more rewarding engagements for the residence and its partners. From Give 5, to mentoring at GADRA, to Trading Live for Mandela Week and their weekly tutoring at Sophia Youngstars, the residence maintains a commitment to social justice and sustainable development. Their commitment has been exemplary as a residence and as members of Nelson Mandela Hall’s CE activities.
Victor has been a dedicated member of the student volunteer programme in 2015, serving as the student leader for Children of the Soil, a contributor to the CE media team and the CE rep for Namibian Society – tasks he has fulfilled with enthusiasm and excellence. From recruitment of volunteers, to assisting with training, Victor has been a volunteer one can always depend on. His exemplary leadership has seen Children of the Soil building one of the largest volunteer bases, Namsoc building a sustainable community engagement programme and, judging from the numerous nominations he received from fellow volunteers, he has clearly earned the respect of his peers. Victor’s dedication is surpassed only by his humility, allowing his service to speak itself. His quiet thoughtfulness has brought innovative interventions in Siyakhan@Makana, where Victor has helped establish partnerships between Ellen Khuzwayo, Namsoc and Children of the Soil. He has lead Namsoc in participating in Trading Live for Mandela Week, and coordinated the successful physical health and community building Togetherness Week. Victor has gone above and beyond the call of duty to integrate his various engagements, ensuring continuity and sustainability in all he does. His commitment to building relationships is exemplified in his reflections on CE, as he reflects in his piece “I remember you: building relationships in the community”. Drawing on the 19th Century American writer, Emily Kimbrough who stated “Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand”. Victor has showed our differences shouldn’t be an obstacle for building relationships. Congratulations on being named Student Volunteer on the year.
