Thirteen Office Management and Technology students received merit awards for going beyond the requirements of the department’s Pay It Forward project at the department’s recent Diversity Seminar.
The project has been integrated into Diversity Management 1, and requires of all first year students to volunteer a minimum of twice a month throughout the year.
An inspirational first year student, Maryka van Niekerk, who has been volunteering at various projects received the 2015 Pay It Forward Champion award. She created a library for the elderly at a church, takes youth on camps to Bredarsdorp, works with intellectually disabled people, and is a member of ROOF – a group of 11 students who raise funds and feed the homeless
Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Transformation Committee chairperson, Mandie Richards, said she was proud of the efforts of the first year students and thanked them for being the change and becoming socially active citizens in South Africa.
Yusuf Abramjee, Head of News and Current Affairs at Prime Media Broadcasting, delivered the keynote address at the seminar held at the Cape Town Campus.
Abramjee, who received the Order of the Baobab in Silver in 2013 for his community contributions, discussed the need for all members of society to be part of the change, make a difference in communities and stamp out crime and corruption.
“Use the stones thrown at you to create milestones”, he said.
Responding to Abramjee’s invite, the students visited Cape Talk Radio later that week, and aspiring CPUT slam poet, Dikeledi Rallele, was interviewed live on air.
To listen to her interview visit https://soundcloud.com/primediabroadcasting/cput-students-pay-it-forward
Another group of students also won an award for the Best Digital Storytelling Video, with their video titled Xenophobia, an African Horror Story. Their story captivated the audience, as they highlighted the plight of foreign nationals, not only in South Africa, but around the world, as well as the need for respect and compassion for all people.