4
Engagement Contributing to the development and well-being of people and society is a critical element of UP’s public mission and permeates our engagement on local, national and international levels.
Community engagement and social responsibility is not
occupational, wellness and art therapy. The two gardens
a “bolt on” at UP, it is a core role and responsibility of
are tended to by volunteers, vulnerable students who
being an anchor institution that makes a direct impact
asked for their own garden and students doing community
on the local economy and environment. In 2020, the
engagement. Churches and nursing homes, as well as
University continued pursuing its priority initiatives,
homeless people, are also involved.
inter alia, to establish a more accessible, outwardfocused campus, within the constraints imposed by the
Stepping up to fight COVID-19
pandemic.
The coronavirus pandemic provided our students and staff with numerous opportunities to help others.
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY The
University
has
an
extensive
Significant student projects included: community
engagement programme with approximately 30 000
• Hotline help: Final-year medical students volunteered
students – around 45% of our student body – involved
to staff a hotline for people who had questions about
in various upliftment projects in 2020. Of these, 90%
the virus. The University partnered with Sediba Hope
were undergraduates, working across 350 modules.
Medical Centre and the City of Tshwane.
Fewer than 10% of the community-based learning
• Online assistance: Students helped teachers from
activities planned for 2020 (mainly excursions) had to
Tsako Thabo Secondary School in Mamelodi, Blue Hills
be cancelled due to COVID-19.
College in Midrand, Laerskool Menlopark and Pretoria Secondary School to implement their online teaching
In close collaboration with the Hatfield City Improvement
programmes. Students in the Faculty of EBIT used
District, we continued on a path to counteract creeping
their skills to update mark sheets, create databases
urban decay in Hatfield, the suburb that is home to the
and online forms. They also helped teachers to solve
largest of our campuses.
problems such as pupils not knowing how to upload their school assignments.
Two of our engagement sites close to the Hatfield Campus
• Hand sanitiser: Students and staff in the Department
are Reliable House and Moja-Gabedi, which were neglected
of Chemical Engineering produced a hand sanitiser,
sites that now have community vegetable gardens. Moja-
which was donated to paediatricians at Steve Biko
Gabedi is also being used as a therapy garden providing
Academic Hospital.
Annual Review 2020
41
