Grahamstown-born Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Gugile Nkwinti and Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sizwe Mabizela will kickstart Trading Live a week early today, Friday 14 July, by spending time with the youth of Joza as part of the Nelson Mandela Day initiatives.
Trading Live is an annual initiative by Rhodes University’s Community Engagement division. The concept is that all staff, students and community organisations, businesses and schools should donate at least 67 minutes of their time during this week to build new relationships of reciprocity with the Grahamstown community and Rhodes University.
At midday, Mabizela will be sharing stories with the children of the Home of Joy and they, in turn, will share their stories and aspirations with Mabizela midday.
Nkwinti will be addressing a group of young people who have completed the Thabiso Life Skills course at the Assumption Development Centre at 11am.
The Trading Live week is officially on 24 to 28 July, and this year the University has a bumper 143 events over 172 hours that will happen over six days in Grahamstown.
“In line with the central objective of Mandela Day, this initiative is about making and accepting offers to trade skills, talents, and interests with other interested parties,” the University’s Communications and Advancement Division said in a statement.
“The Rhodes community has been creative as some of the departments have already made their offers and requests include Commerce, Chemistry, the School of Languages and the Centre for Biological Control, Centre for Social Development and the Institute for Water Research.”
Last year more than 50 community based organisations, student groups and departments came together to participate in 118 Trading Live events across 59 locations and in over 257 hours.
