First-year students in the Business and Information Administration (BIA) Department are part of the social entrepreneurship movement at CPUT and believe that active citizenship benefits all in society.

As part of their Business Administration subject, they raised R82 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust and Andrew Murray Children’s Home (AMCH)  in Wellington.

The District Six Campus students donated R70 000 to the trust while the Wellington Campus students, who are part of a multi-disciplinary service learning project on their campus, raised R12 000 for the AMCH.

The BIA students have since 2005 raised R500 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Lecturers Belinda Berman and Dr Lyn Kleinveldt together with the students recently celebrated this milestone by handing over the R70 000 cheque to the trust’s Fundraising and Bequest Relationship Officer, Pauline Solomons at the District Six Campus. The cheque was accompanied by donations from The Hadjidakis Group, Scent Pac, Shoprite, Clicks and Lewis Stores.

Last month, first-year Marketing students also handed over a R25 000 cheque to the trust as part of their contribution towards the hospital’s emergency centre upgrades.

The Wellington Campus students and their lecturer Mohamed Badat celebrated their fundraising achievement and the group facilitators handed the R12 000 cheque to AMCH’s Financial Manager, Raymond Driescher for the Bursary and Mentorship Tertiary Education Fund . The AMCH is a child and youth care centre which provides residential care for 150 children between the ages of one to 18, whilst integrating therapeutic and developmental programmes to assist them in reaching their potential.

The fundraising initiative is integrated into the Entrepreneurship unit in the subject, and students are not only taught about the financial aspects of raising funds but also teamwork, conflict management, communication and marketing.

Berman, who is also the subject’s co-ordinator, thanked the students for their efforts in making a difference and helping to save the lives of children.

HoD: BIA, Prof Visvanathan Naicker, emphasised the need for creating a caring society and praised the students for their spirit of giving and taking the time to care for needy children.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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As the country celebrated Heritage Month, the Business and Information Administration Department in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences collaborated with the District Six Museum (D6M), and engaged all second-year Diversity Management students and International exchange students in workshops re-imagining and exploring the past at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town.

Mandie Richards, senior lecturer and subject co-ordinator, advised that although the workshop focused on forced removals in District Six, forced removals were not synonymous to District Six, as the Group Areas Act passed on 27 April 1950 by the apartheid government was responsible for the separation and segregation of people into residential areas based on their race, which in itself was a social construct, throughout South Africa.

Mandy Sanger, the Education Manager at the D6M, engaged students in active conversations about colonialism, white privilege, culture, identity, language, restitution and human dignity.

Teams of students participated in role play and enacted scenarios on stage in the Avalon Theatre, which was previously known as the Fugard Theatre, and possible future stars were born, as the student audience applauded a few dramatic performances highlighting the suffering experienced by people in South Africa.

As the past influences the present and often shapes the future, District Six ex-residents accompanied students on guided tours to sites in District Six and shared their stories. Jasmina Salie, an ex-resident and author, shared the pain she and her family endured when they were forcibly removed from District Six to Hanover Park, where she still resides.

Second-year student Zena Julie shared the story of her grandmother’s forced removal from Newlands and finally settling in Mitchells Plain, and added that the workshop provided her with a greater understanding of the past and the impact of apartheid.

Richards was joined at the workshops by Fidelis Chu, the subject lecturer on the Wellington Campus, who shared his insights on the importance of history and how it shapes students’ understanding of the present. Students engaged in further conversation over lunch which was held on the rooftop garden overlooking the City Hall and Table Mountain.

Richards further stated that to enhance the understanding of students, the conversations at the workshops were integrated into the Diversity Management curriculum. Students had to identify a challenge in their community and explore ways as to how they would make a difference in communities by sharing their knowledge and skills or creating awareness thereby empowering communities.

“The workshop concluded with teams presenting their project plans which included homework clubs in communities, volunteering their services as tutors, neighbourhood watch to ensure the safety of the community, to creating awareness about gangsterism, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence and feedback was provided to each team,” added Richards.

Richards advised that the future of the country was in the hands of the youth, and that this required that they be part of the narrative and that their voices and contributions be valued. The challenges raised by the teams and solutions as to how they would address them in their communities, provided her with hope that “this cohort of students will be global citizens and agents of change”.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT first-year students recently donated R54 300 to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust.

The Business Administration 1 students and lecturer Belinda Berman, who is the project’s facilitator, recently handed over the cheque to the Trust on the District Six Campus. The money was raised earlier this year and will be spent towards the upgrading and extension of the Hospital’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The Department of Business and Information Administration started the initiative in 2009 as a Business Administration 1 live academic entrepreneurship project and has to date donated a R430 685 to the Trust.

During the handover, Head of the Department, Prof Visvanathan Naicker, thanked everyone who was involved for their “hard work” in raising the donation for “a good cause”.  Naicker said when the students graduate they will have a proven track record of fundraising.

Every year, prizes are awarded to the student team who has the best academic portfolio and the team that raises the most profit.  All students receive a certificate of participation and merit certificates are issued to the winning teams.

Pauline Solomons, a Fundraiser at The Children’s Hospital Trust, said the students’ longstanding donations entitle them to shares in the Hospital and the partnership has grown incredibly over the past nine years. “The hospital treats 250 000 children every year,” said Solomons.

Another Fundraiser at the Trust, Nokuthula Bonga, said the Hospital upgrades include installing a lift and redesigning the floor near the entrance.

Berman said the project’s academic portfolio will also help the students with project management in the future. She thanked all the students for their time and efforts and expressed how proud she was that they had embraced the spirit of ubuntu.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Business and Information Administration third-year student, Siboniso Soldaka, has made the national Athletics South Africa (ASA) team which will take part at the 2018 African Championship in August in Nigeria.

Siboniso, 27, will represent the country in the 3 000m steeple-chase at the games and will be rubbing shoulders with track superstars such as Olympics gold medallist Caster Semenya (800m and 1 500m) as well as sprinters Akani Simbine (100m) and Anaso Jobodwana (200m).

The ASA team, which will be competing at the championships in Asaba, Nigeria from 1 to 5 August, consists of 79 athletes (47 men and 32 women).

“The first objective of the ASA Team will be to maintain the first position in Africa on the medal tally,” said ASA CEO Richard Stander in a letter to the athletes. “ASA achieved position 1 on the medal tally in Africa at the 2018 CAA African Senior Championships in Durban.”Stander added that the team consists of a healthy balance between experienced and young upcoming talented athletes, as the team also has to prepare for the 2019 IAAF World Championships and ultimately the 2020 Olympic Games.

“It came as great news to me that ASA has given me the opportunity to be in the National Team,” says Siboniso. “I aim to keep performing better at all times and get faster and faster so that I can get more of these opportunities.”

He has nothing but praise for his coach, Sean Snyman, for his amazing support.

“I believe that God will be with me all the way and open more doors for me as long as I keep working hard and I also wish to get full support from CPUT.”

He adds that trips to Belgium and the Netherlands which he took in May and June 2018 boosted his confidence and competing with world-class athletes was a great experience.This won’t be the first time Siboniso represents his country at an international athletic meeting. After winning a bronze medal at the USSA National Championships in 2016, Siboniso booked a spot in the CUCSA Games in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where he went on to win the silver medal in the 1500m.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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First-year Business and Information Administration students used their creativity and skills to make a difference in their communities through a project that raised more than R34 000.

The project involved either providing a service or selling a product and the students worked in groups to produce innovative and feasible business ideas that would generate income for a social cause.

Meagon dos Santos, lecturer and subject co-ordinator, said service-learning and community engagement are important components of the curriculum in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

The Service-Learning and Community Engagement project are weighted assessments integrated in Business Administration 1.

“The projects allowed the students to apply their entrepreneurial knowledge and abilities in a real-world context. The funds raised from this initiative were donated to two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide care and support for vulnerable children and youth: the Leliebloem House Child and Youth Care Centre and the House Andrew Murray Child and Youth Care Centre.”

The District Six Campus students generated R28 000, which was donated to Leliebloem House, and the Wellington Campus students generated R6 500, which was donated to House Andrew Murray.

Dos Santos stated that the project was a rewarding and enriching experience for the students, as they learned valuable lessons about teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and social responsibility. This was evident from one group, The Hangout, who received sponsorship for the use of three pool tables for a week from a company called M-Games. These pool tables were custom-built and placed strategically in the student centre on the District Six campus, which allowed them to generate an income.

Jesse Wannenburg, the team facilitator for this group, stated that the pool tables added a fun and recreational element to their project and it also brought about a sense of teamwork among their group members. Another group, Socks Emporium, which made the most profit, sold socks that they purchased from the popular online store, Shein. Their biggest challenge was keeping up with the demand for their socks and at one point, customers had to be placed on a waiting list.

Dos Santos added that the project had a positive impact on the community, as all the first-year students contributed to the well-being and development of the children and youth at the two NGOs. “It demonstrated the potential and power of service-learning and community engagement as pedagogical tools that can enhance the students’ academic and personal growth.”

Carla Stewart, the Marketing Manager at Leliebloem House, shared the appreciation of the organisation and the children at Leliebloem House and handed artwork created by the children to the Department. She indicated that the funds would contribute greatly toward their Educare Campaign for 2024.

Written by CPUT News
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