The Civic Engagement Unit, Centre for Community Engagement, Work Integrated Learning collaborated with CPUT Residence Finance to disburse used and written off items from CPUT residences to communities as part of their Social Investment Project.

The project began a few years ago with the disbursement of used mattresses and bed frames from residences in District Six, Bellville, Mowbray and Wellington campuses. Currently the residences are busy replacing the small desks which are being replaced with new ones. Dedicated residence management and house parents engage with the Civic Engagement Unit to ensure that collection of used items coincide with the delivery of new items to the residences. Wherever possible house parents, Residence Student Assistants (RSA’s)and leadership academy students assist the communities on the day of collection which is labour intensive.

Community organisations which have benefited from the project thus far are: Saartjie Baartman, Ladles of Love, Vision Child and Youth Care Centre, Langebaan Policing Forum, Jenny Alexander Community Upliftment Foundation, Camissa Solutions, The Ark City of Refuge, Sons of God reach NPC, Gift of the Givers, Ram Charity, Agape Family, Leliebloem Home, RWCW Foundation, Restoration & Leadership Skills Home, Al SABR Foundation, Hanover Park home of Safety, Victory Outreach, Open Foundation, TAG Restoration Centre, and Umsimbithi Foundation.

These organisations deal with disaster response and poverty alleviation as part of their service to vulnerable communities. Jacqui Scheepers, Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Manager believes that “the project gives credence to CPUT’s Oneness and Smartness through acts of kindness and demonstrating compassion (human heartedness) by the university further cementing and living the philosophy of Ubuntu”.

Phillip Chibvuri, Residence Finance Specialist, Finance Administration, says CPUT as an institution surrounded by communities, “there is a deep sense of responsibility and approach to our social fabric and contribution thereof”. “These projects will continue as our vision and mission as a university is designed to benefit the environment in which we operate while preparing the next generation of responsible citizens,” says Chibvuri. He further states that their projects are not theoretical but practical and hands on where there is meaningful cohesion between the community and the students fostering social change and responsibility in building a thriving civil engagement process.

Debbie Lindenberg, from The Community Policing Forum says: “A huge thank you for the desks which were distributed to two schools in Langebaan and to Redlinghuis. They were so appreciated.”

A community partner, Mark Govindsamey from Camissa Solutions expresses gratitude for the donation. “It will be appreciated by those we bless with them. Now more than ever, due to the loss of personal items in areas affected by the storm we had. Thank you to all at CPUT,” says Govindsamey.

Sydney Hlongwane, third-year student in Management and Project Management, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences says: “I acquired managerial skills aligned with my course work and gained hands-on experience. Running this project has helped me to improve my leadership, communication, and administrative skills as well as my client engagement abilities.”

David Haarhoff, the Civic Engagement Project Lead indicates that Community Engagement can simply not be deemed as a tick box exercise. “It requires passion, empathy, sympathy, and a sense of alignment with the ubuntu philosophy. I believe in the philosophy of each one reach one. Reaching out to the respective organisations is a true testimony of our University’s seriousness in contributing to society at large.

“This aligns to our mission and vision and our strategic blueprint. I am extremely excited to be part of this social investment project as it aims to assist communities in rebuilding where there has been lost or towards the betterment of communities,” says Haarhoff.

This project is ongoing and shows how through collaboration and partnerships CPUT staff and students can make an impact in their communities.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Service-Learning and Civic Engagements Units, Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integration Learning (WIL) recently hosted a Community Engagement International Student Leadership Conference.

The conference attracted students, academia and professional nationally and Europe. Students forming part of the Community Engagement Student Leadership Academy at CPUT committed to implementing various projects within communities to contribute toward the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. The goals include the following: 1: No poverty, 2: Zero Hunger, 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, 4: Quality Education, 5: Gender Equality, 7: Affordable and clean energy, 8: Decent work and economic growth, 11: Sustainable cities and communities and 12: Responsible consumption and production, with Goal 6: Partnerships. Further to this, students were also expected to align their respective projects with the graduate attributes as fostered by CPUT.

Throughout the leadership academy students were exposed to various topics including but not limited to:

• Global, national, regional, and local perspectives relevant to CE
• CE Philosophies, ethics and values, theories, and concepts
• Leadership and teamwork in CE
• Building bridges through partnerships and networks for CE
• Civic responsibility and social justice
• CE Project management practical tools and strategies
• Reflection and evaluation

The delegates were welcomed by the Director of Community Engagement and WIL, Prof Lalini Reddy who emphasised the importance of leadership in society. Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, Jacqueline Scheepers provided an overview of the leadership academy since its inception in 2015 and alluded to the critical need to build global leaders. Scheepers said the main objective of the leadership academy was to impact positively on “our”’ society through building and developing leadership skills and competencies. She emphasised the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “Ubuntu is the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity”.

The event boasted a keynote address by Jean-Marc Johannes, Guinness World Record holder in skateboarding, founder of Fill the Gap, gold, silver and bronze medallist. Johannes encouraged students to rise above their circumstances. He said that nothing is impossible and that one has to push boundaries and strive for the impossible.

Students presented projects varying from food garden projects, gender equality, entrepreneurial business bootcamp, first aid projects, environmental and reducing waste, clean and affordable energy, quality education and business enterprise development. The Project Lead, David Haarhoff expressed his sincere gratitude to everyone who assisted in making this event a success. “Working within a community engagement environment encourages us to continually promote the spirit of ubuntu and commit ourselves to the broader goal of servant leadership. My heart is full, and I am extremely proud in terms of student’s growth and their dedication towards communities.”

Leadership Academy member, Sydney Hlongwane said: “The student leadership academy is more than just a programme. It is an incentive for personal growth, leadership development and an inspiration to build a better future. The student presentations at the international student leadership conference were testament of the dedication and hard work that went into the projects.”

The conference also featured inspiring guest speakers who shared their experiences in leadership and sustainable development goals, providing further motivation for the students to continue their remarkable work. The student leadership academy stands as a beacon of hope and empowerment for students, encouraging them to take leadership roles in future and to be good citizens within societies.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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The Civic Engagement Unit recently reflected on the Atlantis Special Economic Zone STEAM Programme, which was launched this year and is led by the Advancement Department.

The purpose of the programme is to assist 40 learners from surrounding schools in Atlantis with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEM). STEM is high on the agenda of the University, encouraging learners to dispel the negative connotation relating to subjects and careers within the field.

As the world's reliance on technology and innovation grows, so does the demand for individuals to upskill, particularly in the STEM vocations.

Advancement Department director, Calvin Maseko commended the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units for a job well done, especially the academy leadership. Maseko said the leadership role which the participating students played in the project was “impressive and student leaders can serve as role models for the learners”. “The Unit staff [members]has created a positive environment where students are respected and affirmed and are provided with spaces to develop their leadership skills and competencies. The student academy should be compulsory for students who wish to occupy leadership roles at the university.”

SLCE Manager, Jacqui Scheepers, said this interdisciplinary community engagement project calls on students to conduct ongoing research, develop activities and then implement through sharing their skills and knowledge. Scheepers said the students also had to work closely with the facilitators and the CE Unit to ensure that all the logistics were put in place like indemnity forms, registers and transport. “As the programme was held early on Saturdays in Atlantis, students had to travel to one pick-up point on the Bellville campus, and then travel to Atlantis. This is an indicator of the dedication, discipline and commitment which the student leaders displayed.”

Recently a reflective workshop was conducted with students from the Community Engagement Student Leadership Academy who were involved in offering tutoring and teacher support throughout the 26 sessions offered to learners this year. The student project leader is Lutendzo Moavi, Sports and Leisure Management student, who is responsible for coordinating the weekly programme and student activities on site. Learners were provided with workshops on Mathematical concepts and Robotics using Lego. The students also accompanied the Learners to the Cape Town Science Centre, which was a learning experience for both groups.

A number of students reflected on the project and were asked what stood out for them. Simphiwe Makhathini indicated that the yearning of the pupils to learn and compete was “admirable and allowed me to think on my feet, accessing the need demand and delivering”.

Atlegang Lekabe, Sports and Events Management student, said: “The project has taught me patience and perseverance. Meeting learners from different backgrounds was a bit challenging. However, what we did as a group was to find ways in which we will be able to relate to the learners, so that they may be comfortable and from there onwards we were able to actively engage and learn from each other. What stood out for me, was a young man who comes from a very troubled household, however the passion he has for his academics inspired me as you would normally find kids from such environments tend not to be interested in academics.”

A student, Sydney Hlongwane, said the project reaffirms the notion that programmes like Atlantis STEAM are defining the future of learning and paving the way for a new generation of thinkers and doers.

Project Lead for Civic Engagement, David Haarhoff, commended all partners inclusive of “our University for their continued efforts in assisting learners to become more comfortable in the STEM subjects”. Haarhoff said offering the exciting activities for the duration of the 26 sessions has provided them with a different perspective and methodology to deal with problem solving and challenges. “Further to this, I am of the opinion that the learners are able to utilise these problem-solving methodologies to assist them to overcome life challenges.” The project will resume in February 2024.

Written by CPUT News

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