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Walter Sisulu University lecturer, Zukisa Mtiya, has put to practice one of WSU’s core strategic goals as a “Technology Infused African University” to upskill and fundraise for sixty physically challenged students from Ikhwezi Lokusa Rehabilitation & Development Society.
Mtiya, who is also co-ordinator of community engagement at the Butterworth Campus’ Fashion Department, was approached and tasked by Ikhwezi Lokusa to come up with a creative and sustainable way to support the training programme through fundraising and showcasing the students’ skills.
The purpose of the collaboration was to fundraise money that will help eliminate Ikhwezi Lokusa’s financial challenges and to helping its students with start-up material after graduating from the programme.
“By attempting on bringing solutions to these community challenges we gain relevance in the space we operate in and are learning a lot from these programmes. As an educational institution we gain research capital which helps us to build towards Transformation and to drive our WSU 2030 Vision,” said Mtiya.
IKhwezi Lokusa offers sewing, craft and leather-work training to 60 Students from three different training programmes at that the institution has on offer in 2023.
The group of students trained were also requested to produce Africa themed gifts to be presented to delegated who attended WSU’s 2nd Transformation Indaba.
“We procured items that represented and promoted the three areas of skills training that were offered to Ikhwezi Lokusa to align with the theme of the Transformation Indaba in a Technology Infused African University like WSU,” said Mtiya.
By: Sinawo Hermans
