Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU) recently hosted its second annual Social Impact Awards ceremony, recognising the remarkable individuals and teams whose work is making a profound difference in our communities.
From a pioneering initiative that raises awareness about gentrification, to programmes supporting children living with HIV and a groundbreaking university-prison partnership, the award recipients exemplify the 中国体育彩票's commitment to knowledge in service of society. Nine recipients were honoured for their contributions to advancing social impact in their communities at the awards ceremony held at the SU Museum.
In his welcoming address Prof Nico Koopman, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel at SU, highlighted the importance of celebrating those who added value to communities. “Social impact must be a transformative impact that contributes to societies where there's dignity for all and healing of wounds for all," he emphasised.
“Tonight, we celebrate our colleagues, because you contribute to knowledge in service of society through research and innovation, learning and teaching as well as all the academic professional services and co-curricular work. You contribute to the renewal of individuals, of institutions, of our campuses and of our communities in broader society," Koopman said.
The programme director for the evening, Joanne Williams, explained that the idea behind the Social Impact Awards was to recognise that social impact does not happen in isolation.
“Social impact is teamwork. It's a collaborative effort with societal partners. Both our categories recognise that, but with our first award category we identify a specific individual within an initiative," Williams explained. “Our team award category recognises staff members or team members in collaboration with a societal partner."
Individual recipients
The individual Social Impact Awards were presented by Dr Leslie van Rooi, Senior Director: Social Impact & Transformation at SU.
The first recipient was Dr Armand Bam, Head of Social Impact at the Stellenbosch Business School, who was recognised for his unwavering commitment to drive meaningful social change, particularly in areas of systemic inequality.
Ria Olivier, co-investigator, project manager and digital archivist of the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, received an award for this project which aims to preserve the legacy of South Africa in the Antarctic region. The award was accepted on her behalf by Dr Anne Treasure.
Prof Ronnie Donaldson of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies was honoured for his initiative to use the arts to raise awareness about gentrification in Stellenbosch's rural communities and villages.
Tembela Boyana from the Family Centre for Research with Ubuntu (FAMCRU), situated in Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at SU's Tygerberg campus, was honoured for developing and supporting a culturally sensitive, considerate and supportive method to disclose their HIV status to young children.
Dr Mary Nel received the award for the Ubuntu Learning Community, a pioneering partnership established in 2018 between SU and the Department of Correctional Services. The programme aims to foster educational access for prisoners while empowering students to engage meaningfully with issues of social justice and personal transformation.
Team awards
Dr Sipho Mahokoto, senior lecturer of systematic theology and ethics, facilitated the handing over of the awards for the group and team initiatives.
First to receive a Social Impact team award was Prof Shahida Moosa, Head of Medical Genetics at Tygerberg Hospital and SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), for her team's invaluable contributions to public health through the Rare Disease Genomics Research Group. The award was received by Dr Marianne Gush on her behalf.
Dorette du Plessis of the Centre for Invasion Biology at SU and her team received a Social Impact Award for the Iimbovane Outreach Project, an educational initiative that uses nature as a platform to help learners develop practical science skills and an appreciation for biodiversity.
Dr Therese Fish, Vice-Dean: Clinical Services and Social Impact at the FMHS and Prof Karin Baatjes, FMHS Vice-Dean: Learning and Teaching, received a joint award for the InReach Central Karoo project. The initiative was designed to address the backlog in cataract surgeries and dental services in the Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts.
The final award was granted to Pieter Conradie, research engineer from the Faculty of Engineering, for the Rail Safety Campaign. This project aims to teachg young children about railway safety.
The individual Social Impact Award recipients each receive R25 000 as a gratuity while project teams received R30 000 that will go towards their initiatives.
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