UFH REACHES OUT TO SCENERY PARK MATRICULANTS

On Friday 22 July, the University of Fort Hare Faculty of Social Science and Humanities in conjunction with the Eastern Cape Audio Visual Centre (ECAVC) visited Uviwe Senior Secondary School in Scenery Park, East London to educate and inform Grade 12 learners about opportunities available after matric.

The outreach programme came just over a month after 21 learners died at a local tavern, an incident that caused huge outcry about underage drinking.

The event organized by interns from the Faculty was also a commemoration of the 67 minutes for Mandela. The programme included a career expo, career guidance and entertain by an artist from the ECAVC.

According  Sduduzo Myeni, Artistic Coordinator at the UFH Miriam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts, the Faculty saw it fit to give back to this particular school following the recent tragedy that took the lives of the 21 learners.

“This is an initiative by the University that seeks to motivate learners that are currently in their matric year to work hard and obtain good results that allow them access to university. Also, to motivate them to invest their time in positive activities.”

ECAVC administrator, Rose Mdlambuzi-Lokwe said, with the minimal resources and time, they had to give back to such as distraught community.

“We chose Uviwe Senior Secondary since it is in Scenery Park where many hearts were shattered because of the recent incident. This is our way of giving support and consoling what is currently a broken community.”

The deputy principal of Uviwe Secondary School, Vuyani Mgqolozana expressed that bringing such opportunities to the location schools was a good gesture considering that there was great need to expose learners to nearby tertiary institutions.

“By University of Fort Hare coming here especially at this time will assist them a great deal because you find that some of them do not even care to apply and some do not know how to apply, so hopefully you will be able to get into their heads and assist them.”

During the event, two learners, Yavin and Soldier-D gave impromptu performances which scored them a recording deal from the ECAVC. Myeni scouted the pair and following their performances announced that she would assist them to record their singles professionally.