A Stellenbosch University (SU) private student organisation (PSO) and co-ed residence recently won their respective categories of an environmental sustainability competition.
This was according to Jermaine Hendricks, host of the event and manager of facilities information at SU.
The awards ceremony for the competition took place on 2 October at the visual arts department at SU, said Hendricks.
eNkayini Residence and Oude Molen PSO were awarded Green Living Awards, said Hendricks. Prizes to the value of R5 000 and R4 500 were awarded for the residence and PSO categories, said Hendricks.
The winners were chosen by a panel of five judges, said John de Wet, environmental sustainability manager at SU, judge and organiser of the event.
The judges included De Wet, Nelisa Mpama from the environmental sustainability division, Banothile Khuboni, Dr Corina du Toit from the Sustainable Development Impact Hub and Tlometso Busang from EcoMaties, said De Wet. Each judge was from a sustainability organisation or initiative, he said.
The competition is meant to promote sustainable living practices in residences and PSOs, said Hendricks.
Five SU PSOs and nineteen residences participated in the competition, said De Wet.
Mike Brand, a representative from the digital currency group, Toco; Thato Ya One Kesilwe, a representative from eNkayini Residence; Panashe Makusha, a second year electrical engineering student from Oude Molen private student organisation (PSO); and prof Stan du Plessis, chief operations officer at Stellenbosch University (SU). Toco partnered with eNkanyini and Oude Molen for their initiatives in the environmental sustainability competition. Oude Molen and eNkanyi won 2023 Green Living Awards for their projects, said Jermaine Hendricks, host of the event and manager of facilities information at SU. PHOTO: Michelle Grobbelaar
Qualifying for the awards
The environmental sustainability competition ran from March to August, said Hendricks.
Participants had to complete various sustainability-related activities, educational projects and a community project to qualify for the Green Living Awards, said De Wet.
Promoting sustainability is important because it has a positive effect on the environment, said Panashe Makusha, second year electrical engineering student at SU and member of Oude Molen.
eNkayini Residence, located on Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Tygerberg Campus recently won their category in the environmental sustainability competition, said Jermaine Hendricks, host of the event and manager of facilities information at Stellenbosch University. The prize money will be put towards purchasing power-saving LED lights for load shedding, said Thato Ya One Kesilwe, representative from eNkayini Residence. PHOTO/Supplied: Thato Ya One Kesilwe
Making an impact
eNkayini Residence, located on the Tygerberg campus, collected old clothing from students for donations, said Thato Ya One Kesilwe, a representative from eNkayini. They also collected 60 plastic bags, which they returned to Checkers as part of their initiative, said Kesilwe, who added that they wanted to focus on recycling.
Oude Molen partnered with an outreach programme and students from the PSO taught children at Froggies Daycare in Devon Valley how to read and write, said Makusha.
“We chose this project because we wanted to make a positive impact on underprivileged communities,” said Makusha.
The projects for a recent environmental sustainability competition hosted by Stellenbosch University (SU) showed the creativity of students in promoting sustainability and making a positive impact on the campus, said Jermaine Hendricks, host of the event and manager of facilities information at SU. The Green Living Awards took place on 2 October where the winners of the competition (listed above) were announced, said Hendricks. INFOGRAPHIC: Michelle Grobbelaar