By Candes Keating and Kwanele Butana.
CPUT students are changing communities for the good.
From building sustainable houses to making graduation gowns for learners, students are using their skills to improve the lives of thousands of people living in the Western Cape.
And this year, their efforts have doubled, with the university seeing an unprecedented growth in the number of service learning projects.
Manager of the Service-Learning Unit, Jacqui Scheepers says this year all six faculties implemented new projects, which are running alongside existing ones.
“This year we have seen more academic staff opt for a creative way of changing the curriculum,” says Scheepers.
A distinctive feature of CPUT, the projects see the university partner with communities, government and other organisations to address needs in communities.
- Service-Learning student applying theoretical
- knowledge to real-life situations
INNOVATION
Scheepers says this year they have seen the infusion of innovation in a number of projects.
One such is the aquaponics project, a collaboration between the Horticulture Department and several non-profit organisations. The project aims at developing a sustainable unit that will allow communities to produce fish and vegetable plants.
Architectural Technology students are also thinking out of the box and are exploring building methods for sustainable houses in Khayelitsha that relies on sandbags.
These projects have helped CPUT to create stronger partnerships with government and industry. Recently several new partners jumped on board the Adopt a River project, the brainchild of the Civil Engineering Department. Based in Makhaza in Khayelitsha, the project explores solutions to environmental problems.
PARTNERSHIPS
“This is the biggest partnership and it spans across government departments and various sectors. This project has a lot of promise due to its wide range of stakeholders.”
This initiative also received a thumbs-up from Deputy Minister of Water Affairs Rejoice Mabudafhasi, who visited the project earlier this year.
Scheepers says they have also seen social innovation through various projects. One such is a programme run by the Somatololgy Department and Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital in Mitchell’s Plain, where students are teaching patients health and wellness techniques.
And to celebrate its success, the unit showcased its projects and partnerships at the Service-Learning Mini conference and Project Exhibition that took place on the Bellville Campus.