My journey - Masiziba Hadebe - January 2024

I am Masiziba Hadebe - the writer And this is the entire collection of all articles from Hola MaHigh-School.

It is also about me - how i have developed and grown as a writer, right from grade 11 to now doing a Master’s.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

We as Romele Publication, the publisher of Hola MaHigh-School, have worked with Masiziba ever since she was in grade 11.

She is a genius! and we are the ones who feel honoured by working with her. Her ability to find a topic, research it and get an article together is remarkable.

And always on time, and that is important.

We have seen how she has developed and how her writing has become world-class - as one would expect of a Master’’s (and probably later PhD).

That she is a fun person, always bubby, just makes it so much more of a joy working with her.

Of course we have presented her with some challenges that must have made her head spin - and that has also been fun, to us.

If anything, please read through her articles. They have all been published and could enjoy a big audience.

Sybil Otterstrom Publisher: Hola MaHigh-School

This is me - in few sentences But I am also much more I am Masiziba Hadebe, a 22 year old Masters Science student majoring in Agricultural Economics at the University of the Free State(UFS).

I am focusing on bio-economic modelling in irrigation agriculture and applying the economic concepts to calculate electricity costs and then make recommendations on how irrigation farmers can reduce their costs. The research is funded by the Water Research Council (WRC).

I grew up in the small town of Balfour in Mpumalanga (Siyathemba township) and there I was given a foundation I will forever appreciate.

I also know the power of writing. In fact, I have been a contributor for Hola MaHigh-School school magazine from the age of 16.

I have shared my journey on the transition from a rural town to the big city. I shared my journey and when I look back, I realize I have grown and learnt so much in the process.

I also strongly believe in learning and unlearning. This is because the world consists of knowledge that is there for us to dissect, challenge and critique. It is not a definite of what is right and wrong, thus sometimes you have to unlearn what you may have considered right.

As Thomas Edison puts it in his own terms: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

I am also hardworking, dedicated and community driven as I participate in numerous community activities, some of them initiated by me.

I can also be described in one word: Sunshine. I choose to give meaningful light to the world I am living in. Whether it’s through paving the way for those coming after me and improving the standards of the giants whose shoulders I am standing on.

In my free time, you find me delving into the written word, whether it is compiling it or simply reading it. Topics that interest me are anything between Agriculture and Science.

I also enjoy series and movies especially those adapted from books.

Racism and social Media No place to hide

Modern technology can no longer be merely defined as new machinery or engineering but as a source of power to change the world. Social media is one perfect example of this.

Racism has been there for years, probably even in Shakespeare's time where it was only 'seen' or 'heard 'of in the presence of people who had voices but had no authority. We should all be familiar with his play ‘Othello’. Was there already there a racism aspect written into it? We have to remember that going to the theatre in those days (and debating in the newspapers thereafter) was like Twitter and Facebook all in one. The reach was huge, but the time frame lacked the instantaneous response The ability to go viral.

Well, all that has absolutely changed as social media gives us a 'voice with authority'– the ability to talk and be listened to and hence, make a difference with immediate effect.

Imagine if Penny Sparrow had opted to telling her friend about her racist thoughts somewhere in a restaurant instead of posting them on Facebook, what would have happened then? nothing.

Nobody would have known.

When racism strikes in public (and social media is as public as it can be), it causes the social media society to erupt and emotions to be felt. There will be voices from a variety of ethnicities from all over the world discussing the same issue and in many instances, causing presidents across the globe to take their opinions into consideration no matter who they are. Obama is operating on Twitter. A lot. He must listen to all the input as well.

All these types of social media have privacy settings where it is possible to decide who to allow in your 'space' but now the question is: how come the world hear of those things in that space even though it is restricted?

Share, in simple terms, is to give something that you already have to two or more people and in the case of social media — it is way more people! These people can also share with their friends or followers and their followers share with their followers and so on. The option 'share' allows someone's information to be viral in a matter of hours. This information could be thoughts or opinions even pictures and racism commonly occurs in these forms.

We have Twitter storms on a daily basis. Everything is out in the open.

Racists can no longer hide because social media will bring them to the front whether they like it or not. This is because social media, whether it is Facebook, Twitter or Instagram reel us into its ac-

tivities to that extent that we no longer only browse the news-feed but ' share' everything ranging from what we think to what we do every minute to what we even eat with whom.

Look at it this way: mom and dad might have friends and sometimes they phone each other and talk about this and that. Like how I do not clean my room (LOL) and so on. Or that they had a good weekend somewhere.

Our mind has changed to just using social media the same way. We just ‘blabber’ along and talk out in the air, but this ‘air’ might be a million people before lunch.

THAT is the power of social media.

Social media reach is Sparrow got caught out. one-on-one across a tele-

dramatic and that is why Penny She ‘forgot’ that this is not a phone. This is Twitter.

This allows us not to be post in social media thus caught!

conscious of what we write or making racists to be easily

Social media is that one to not only show the South Africa and the World

technology that has the power current situation of racism in but to show that humans really

need to and can get along.

“Mankind is made great or little by its own will” says Frederich Schiller. And that means social media can promote good or bad, but you know what? It is there and it ain’t gonna go away, and neither are the racists.

I am Masiziba and I am on a roll!

Coal is not green!.* Electricity is not coal.

Coal has been scientifically proven that it is not green and incentives have been brought to the fore– incentives that have and are still being discussed and almost used by many countries worldwide.

Coal, in South Africa, is mainly used for generating electricity for homes, businesses and industries largely under the control of the state utility Eskom.Eskom supplies about 95% of South Africa’s electricity and approximately 45% of Africa’s. Over the five years to March 2013, Eskom planned to spend R385 billion (around US$ 50 billion) on new capacity – mainly coal- and gasfired plants, as well as on returning mothballed coal-fired stations to service. Eskom said the country needs 40 GWe of new generation by 2025, about half of which should be nuclear.

In the meantime the country remains heavily dependent on coal, with power plants built near the mines, and the two largest coal-fired plants in the world under construction – 4800 MWe each. Also the country gets 40% of its oil/gasoline needs from coal-to-liquids plants according to the World Nuclear Association.

It is very apparent that South Africa is very reliable on coal and the long term effects of coal are already showing (i.e. the drought)and yet we are still finding that more coal fired plants are being built which also happen to be the largest in the world! Excluding the fact that nuclear power is also on the list whereas the World is going in the opposite direction.

Worldwide there are now over two hundred thousand wind turbines operating, with a total nameplate capacity of 432,000 MW as of end 2015.The European Union alone passed some 100,000 MW nameplate capacity in September 2012, while the United States surpassed 75,000 MW in 2015 and China’s grid connected capacity passed 145,000 MW in 2015.(Wikipedia) World wind generation capacity more than quadrupled between 2000 and 2006, doubling about every three years. The United States pioneered wind farms and led the world in installed capacity in the 1980s and into the 1990s. In 1997 installed capacity in Germany surpassed the U.S. and led until once again overtaken by the U.S. in 2008. China has been rapidly expanding its wind installations in the late 2000s and passed the U.S. in 2010 to become the world leader.

As of 2011, 83 countries around the world were using wind power on a commercial basis.

On the other hand, others might say that South Africa is not comparable to first world Countries because of many reasons above the obvious and somehow agreeing with the World Coal Association (WCA) stating that carbon capture, use and storage technology will be key to reducing global CO2 emissions, not only from coal, but also natural gas and industrial sources.

They believe that Coal that is not really ‘clean’ or ‘green’ but can be made clean with the constantly upgraded technological help.

Clean coal is a process whereby coal is chemically washed of minerals and impurities, sometimes gasified, burned and the resulting flue gases treated with steam, with the purpose of

removing sulfur dioxide, and reburned so as to make the carbon dioxide in the flue gas economically recoverable.

The coal industry uses the term “clean coal” to describe technologies designed to enhance both the efficiency and the environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation and use, but has provided no specific quantitative limits on any emissions, particularly carbon dioxide. Whereas contaminants like sulfur or mercury can be removed from coal, carbon cannot be effectively removed while still leaving a usable fuel, and clean coal plants without carbon sequestration and storage do not significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions (Wikipedia).

Clean coal that does not ‘significantly’ reduce carbon dioxide –makes you wonder if a leopard can really change its spots.

On May 2011, during the budget speech, the energy minister reaffirmed that 22% of new generating capacity by 2030 would be nuclear and 14% coal-fired. The budget also provided R586 million ($85 million) for the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) “to continue with its central role as the anchor for nuclear energy research and development and innovation”(World nuclear Association). South Africa has two nuclear reactors generating 5% of its electricity already. But is it worth it?

Coal is also not green to an individual’s life. Imagine this: here you are, 50 years from now, in a South Africa that relies on coal for electricity and you find yourself having Respiratory problems, Skin , Bladder and lung cancer. To top that off, your nervous system also gets damaged. ..

This is because of coal ash produced from coal power plants. Environmental Integrity Project, the Sierra Club and Earth justice found that coal ash produced by coal-fired power plants dumped at sites across 21 U.S states has contaminated ground water with toxic elements. The contaminants including the poisons arsenic and lead.

Arsenic has been shown to cause skin cancer, bladder cancer and lung cancer, and lead damages the nervous system. Coal ash contaminants are also linked to respiratory diseases and other health and developmental problems, and have disrupted local aquatic life. Coal ash also releases a variety of toxic contaminants into nearby air which can be a serious trigger for people with allergic asthma.

Drought , drought and drought – just 30 days of water left! That is what the current status of water content in South Africa is described to be. This is one perfect example of the long- term effects of Coal mining. South Africa is now a net importer of food because of this. Our agricultural produce has rapidly decreased, and this has caused some of the food price increases.

Coal Plants In certain areas literally decrease the Agricultural use Of land( As they toxicate the land making it not safe or ‘growing capable’ because the Crops won’t Photosynthesise well).

Coal plants require tons of water for cooling. In a country like South Africa, is this amount of water readily available? Coal goes against international trends of using renewable sources of energy and goes against the fact that South Africa is officially a water scarce country.

Coal was once green in the time we discovered that it enables us to have electricity. But that was then. Today, I can freely say that Coal is not electricity and electricity is not Coal and hence, due to the results of the long term use of coal world wide, coal is not green!* ---- I am Masiziba -- and I have a lot to tell!

16 June 1976: as see Well, I have to acknowledge the courage, the strength and the persistence of the youth of 1976. They fought against Bantu education. There was bloodshed and tears, particularly on June 16 as the first day of what is also called the Soweto Uprising.

The youth then were facing the fire of being taught in a language they did not understand and having to be degraded in manner that they never deserved. And they did make a change - extinguishing the fire - but today’s youth is facing some of the smoke. This is how some young people feel.

“We are still having language problems in some universities, and the funny thing is, it is the same language that they were fighting against. . .” says one young person.

The motive of the youth of 1976 was for them to get an education and so does the youth of today.

But the youth of today is still fighting for ‘funding’ of their studies with campaigns like #fees_must_fall or fundraising campaigns for tuition funds; basically the struggle still continues.

The Soweto uprising is a somewhat very unusual term to high school learners. 4 out of 5 learners asked about the Soweto uprising could not actually link it to June 16, the same day they were looking forward to. Then when questioned about June 16 1976, the first thing that came to their minds was Hector Peterson, the 12 year old boy who was shot dead. Then when asked what June 16 meant to them 3 out of 5 simply said it was a holiday—no school, no alarm, no waking up at all.

The remaining 2 had said they do recognize the day by wearing school uniform (although there’s no school).

One said her mother does that too by wearing her school uniform from years back. She also believes that it was a tradition instilled in the community because almost everyone, young or old, wears complete or incomplete school uniform to show respect and appre-

en by a teen in 2016 ciation to the youth of ‘ 76 on every June 16. The other one said he wears school uniform because everyone does especially those who go to events that day– it’s a trend!

– Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs.

The youth of ‘76 has also inspired many young people to fight for what they believe in. One of them is Rapelang Rabana, who was part of the good education system that the youth of ‘ 76 fought for.

She is now a co-founder of Yeigo Communications, a major software company based in Cape Town.

She co-founded the business shortly after completing her studies at the University of Cape Town in 2005.

Amongst some of her accolades Rapelang was selected as a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum and was invited to join the Annual Meeting in Davos 2012.

She is also an Ambassador and Juror for the United Nations World Youth Summit Awards, and to top it all off she was also listed by Forbes on 30 under 30

Although we as youth could and should know more about our own history, we can be on a path of success.

The bravery and courage of the youth of ‘76, whether we like it or not, will and has enabled us to be the leaders of tomorrow. We young people need to acknowledge their strength for making the change – extinguishing the fire - and even if we are facing some of the smoke we should be able to have their courage and will to fight for what is right!

Let us acknowledge them! Especially on June 16.

I am Masiziba and expect even more from me!

Masiziba ka Hadebe

Nuclear power in SA? Can it be green? will it work?

Nuclear power plants or not—the debate is feisty as ever. Nuclear power is considered as the worthiest alternative source of energy, that is, after fossil fuels (World nuclear association) but just like any other form of energy it will have it’s advantages, disadvantages and two sides that will oppose each other .

Nuclear power is associated with Atomic bombs, the devastating effects if leakage of radioactive materials were to occur and the methods of disposal of nuclear waste and for the mere fact Tom Blees: Nuclear is virtu- is not a renewable that nuclear power source of energy ally an inexhaustible source amongst other reasons. This has of energy that is safe, clean, raised concerns of the public in many countries.

and economical

But in South Africa, according to an article published in the Mail and Guardian (May 2016), nuclear power will produce electricity more cheaply than in any other country in the world, and at a far lower cost than coal or renewables. On top of that, it will make a profit of nearly 99% of its investment, without factoring in the benefits of a cheap and dependable supply of electricity, and the , chief executive of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Phumzile Tshelane confirmed this and also believes nuclear power is the way to create jobs–this, I bet is music to the ears of many South Africans.

To add on to that, Prescription of the Planet, a book written by Tom Blees, the President of the Science Council, also gives reference to the fact that nuclear power is a “ virtually inexhaustible source of energy that is safe, clean, and economical that will require no resort to mining, drilling, or other extraction purposes for literally hundreds of years”.

... and a mix of wind He further puts emphasis the fact that the world we are living in is a zero- sum world.

A place where the most advanced, industrialized nations consume a large share of the world’s resources. He compared a zero– sum world to sharing a pie: if one took a bigger piece then somebody else will have to take a smaller one.

Clearly suggesting that the pie needs to be made bigger; and using Nuclear power as an alternative source of energy can and will enable this to happen whilst mentioning the role of world leaders in allowing the pie to be accessible to everyone.

On the other hand, the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents that subsequently undermined the nuclear power industry’s proposed renaissance revived nuclear opposition worldwide.

This has put governments and world leaders on the defensive because as of 2016, countries such as Australia, Austria , Denmark , Greece, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Norway have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear power. Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland are phasing-out nuclear power. (Wikipedia) According to reports, many of the concerns of the anti -nuclear movements have actually not been met to, although South Africa got rid of any nuclear weapons and stopped the production of nuclear weaponry in the 1990’s. There are still South Africans who are outwardly concerned about nuclear proliferation. But this is a problem that can be solved even before it happens, states Tom Blees in his book, The prescription of the planet. He gives the exact role that, again, World leaders have to play in being part of solution.

Many people feel that the nuclear industry shouldn’t continue operation without having a solution for the disposal of its radioactive waste. However, the industry has in fact developed the necessary technologies and implemented most of them - the remaining issue is to ensure that the proposed solutions are acceptable to the public( World Nuclear Association).

A nuclear reactor is a common term used in cohesion with the generation of electricity using nuclear power. It is one technology_ that has various types( which I will be critically discussing in my article that will follow). Basically it is a device used to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction (Wikipedia).

Which brings me to the particularly amazing article published in the Mail and Guardian, written by Piet de Wet which wrote that Kelvin Kemm, who was named

d, solar and nuclear? chairperson of the Necsa board in March, said that they have got to understand that in their game there is an opposition, the “extreme green” element, he said, gets to kids early, and they grow up to chant anti-nuclear slogans.

He further said that the country needs to realise that producing more electricity is the only way to improve the quality of life for South Africans, and “you’re not going to be doing that on breezes and sunbeams”.

Well, I will, as a kid definitely not chant anti– nuclear slogans (although I have the freedom of expression) but instead with research and help from the right expertise I will be bringing all the Hola readers all the processes and new technologies involved in using nuclear energy and ahem, those ‘breezes’ and ‘sunbeams’ I will also be exploring, technically wondering how the future will look like with Solar energy or rather sunbeams + breezes (wind energy) + nuclear energy.

So expect more nuclear articles from me, who knows probably after reading all these articles, you might want to be a nuclear scientist and engineer, or you might want to simply hashtag anti-nuclear slogans and be part of the ‘extreme green element’ that is widely known. *

By Masiziba Ruth Mbedzi Hadebe

Thato Lekoko: Superhero A book-review by Masiziba Thato Lekoko: Superhero. A new book by the Botswana writer Lauri Kubuitsile and published by Oxford University Press SA. The book is designed to be a part of a class project. The audience is the grade 7-9 and represents a great way of addressing the issues of semantics, emotions, etc.

The plot is easy to comprehend: Thato wakes up one day to the sight of a superhero costume and a call device.

She realises that she has got superpowers (can fly, etc) and that it is her task to help wherever she can and whenever the call is coming in for her.

The setting is in a typical River, a mine, dusty Something which can be Eastern Cape and from

Southern African village. streets, rural school, etc. seen from Limpopo to Botswana to Mpumalanga.

The mine is polluting the village. Despite all odds to and her friends find the project reveal the truth.

river and poisoning the and family problems, Thaculprits and via a school

It has got the suspense, the surprises and the happy ending. In essence: a good book.

Where it is different is that it is not just another book to read as a school project (and let us face it: Macbeth and King Lear are heavy). It has got notes in the margin, help with difficult words, leading questions and a lot about how to ‘spot’ a good book in the back.

This is the type of book which can be used for weeks and will assist any teacher in ensuring that the meaning of the book is fully understood and that all emotions and aspects are discussed.

The morale of the book? To me it is a personal thing: we can all be superheroes. Thato could not use her superpowers to stop the pollution, only herself as Thato. We all have it in us to change the world – and without having superpowers.

A career we can identify with: A teacher Why take Teaching as a career? “ I loved Life sciences and Mathematics was extremely difficult at first, but I worked hard — really hard and got my distinction in Mathematics, then from there I thought a career in teaching would be great because in that way I could help you guys to overcome all the challenges and somehow build future doctors and engineers” says one of my teachers.

She also said the norm is completely wrong.

I’ll be be probably in teaching and having center for children and/ municipality” she says. be doing her honours

that teaching is ‘limited’ “In the next 10-15 years, holding my doctorate my own educational or students in my district As of next year, she will degree in teaching.

She believes that this profession is very diverse, and for this reason every teacher should have love, passion, patience; basically a big heart because just like every other career — it has challenges .

A famous teacher!

“ One challenge is that what you learn at varsity is ‘just’ a preview” she says.

Clearly stating that one of the challenges they face in a class is, for example, a shortage of textbooks and for the mere fact that the learners come from different backgrounds and it is a challenge to link the ‘content’ from the books to their background i.e. reading about a nuclear energy system — that they have never seen in their area.Maybe that’s why all those educational trips are so important.

She also does encourage a career in teaching, because you can be able to teach high and primary school learners and help build future doctors and engineers or be a part-time lecturer or host after-school classes for learners who are lacking behind and make a huge difference in their school results or open an educational centre, like she plans to.

So why not be a teacher and make a career out of it too? (by Masiziba Hadebe)

Nuclear energy The continuation

Turning nuclear energy into electricity is the most important part of the debacle of “nuclear power or not”. So how does nuclear energy produce electricity?

Nuclear reactors produce heat, which boils water into steam, steam drives a turbine, turbine produces electricity. OK, there is more to it, but this is the basics.

So what is the difference between a nuclear power plant and a coal fired one? Really only the ‘heart’ of it: the entity producing heat. Coal is burned to produce heat, nuclear energy is a fission process generating heat.

Fission is where the atomic nucleus is bombarded with additional neutrons (look it up) until it breaks into other particles. That process releases an immense amount of energy and energy equals heat. This process typically releases additional neutrons so a chain-reaction is going. More ‘heat’ = more neutrons, slow down = catch some of the neutrons. It is like an accelerator in the car.

It is important to manage this. The heat needs to be channeled to a heat exchanger (boiling the water), otherwise the core will just melt.

That is achieved via liquids or gas.

The centre of the nuclear reactor is called the ‘core’. It contains cans holding the fuel rods that are laid out in a special way so the fuel (really a metal, which holds the atoms that have to split) will capture enough neutrons to trigger the chain reaction, where the neutrons from one nucleus collide and split the nuclei of the atoms nearby.

The fuel rods are surrounded by water or graphite to slow down the neutrons. Special control rods can be lowered into the core between the fuel rods to slow down the chain reaction if needed (less ‘heat) or retracted (more heat).

Like pressing the accelerator in the car. Control rods are made of boron which soaks up neutrons.

Not so difficult after all?

Nucler Rea ... and th Just like every other technology, nuclear reactors do have different types, one

being better than the other and so forth. But there are only two main types of nuclear reactors: fast and thermal reactors. Then all the fancy-named ‘sub’ types of reactors follow.

Thermal reactors use slow-moving neutrons called thermal neutrons, to keep the chain reaction going. Some thermal reactors known as advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR’s), use gas to carry heat away.

One type of AGR reactors is a Magnox reactor. It uses carbon dioxide gas (CO2) to keep the reactor cool. The hot gas (CO2) first flows through the core, then in turn boils the water. The important thing is that in-between the fuel rods are graphite blocks that slow down the neutrons while this is happening. The steam then passes through the heat exchanger and spins the turbine..

Fast reactors are very different from thermal reactors because the neutrons are always moving at high speed. To top that off, it uses a mixture of plutonium and uranium fuels, and is cooled by a special liquid. The fuel rods are packed tightly without water or graphite between them.

Breeder reactors are fast reactors that make their own fuel. In the reactor core, neutrons bombard uranium until it undergoes a sudden change into plutonium. They are also extremely efficient because they can, believe it or not, produce about 60 times as much energy as thermal reactors. But many countries have stopped building breeder reactors because they have also had problems with leaks.

PS: Uranium is one type of fuel, Plutonium is another. It is possible to grab the energy out of the process of bombarding Uranium, turning it into Plutonium, which is the fuel for another reactor – very smart!

There are many fast reactors that are in various stages of development. One reactor type is the Traveling Wave reactor, also known as the TWR. TWRs differ from other kinds of fast-neutron and breeder reactors as they have the ability to use fuel efficiently without reprocessing uranium into, for example, plutonium. They can directly use depleted uranium, natural uranium, thorium, spent fuel removed from light water reactors, or some combination of these materials. It is also a type of nuclear fission reactor that can convert other material into usable fuel through nuclear transmutation.

actor types, he future As impossible as it sounds, it is like taking the ‘garbage bin’ from other reactor types (all the spent fuel rods from years back in time, the radio-active waste, etc) and make fuel rods out of it.

There are some nuclear reactors that are theoretically possible like the Generation IV and Generation V reactors.

Generation IV nuclear reactors are a set of theoretical reactor designs that are currently being researched. They are not expected to be available for commercial construction before 2030. Some few examples of the Generation IV reactors include Gas-cooled fast reactors and Lead-gas cooled fast reactors amongst many others.

Then we’ve got the Generation V nuclear reactors. These are designs which are also possible on paper but are not being actively considered for deployment as it must be economical to do so. But they will be reality in the future. Examples of Generation V reactors include liquid-core nuclear reactors and the Gas-core nuclear reactors amongst many others.

Fast and thermal reactors, very different. Improvement ? (With about 240 research reactors) yes. Future? (With so many theoretical possible Generation V reactors ) more will still be done in nuclear science and engineering.

Read More on nuclear energy from my upcoming and previous articles, then tell me what you think of Hola’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Masiziba Hadebe

Floating nuclear plant

The Su

The dread of

IMAGINE THIS!

8 AM strikes! A top shot CEO of some top shot company comes crashing into the office, and unfortunately you, the intern/PA have to line up all up her meetings using ICT, and Half the stuff is sitting in the cloud and the rest on the desktop, cluttering it so it is impossible to find the documents but anyway you make a plan.

With the snap of you a bunch of you to go through and save them as PDF facility and and let the people have uploaded.

fingers, Mrs CEO, gives files, a few reports for and sum them all up PDF files then use the save it in the cloud download after you

You felt at ease when you saw her go into the board meeting but as soon as you looked at the files, well, the first one was 7 Megabytes! Maybe because it had plenty of pics in a JPEG format so maybe it would not be so bad. But as soon as the file had loaded, well, it had a very attractive cover page enlarged with words that said “The effect of BREXIT on the Rand”, and looking at its table of content, it had 216 pages! It did have an MPEG in the middle and the MP4 player should be able to use it. As long as the CODEX would not give problems.

Problems with the ‘new’ words and concepts? This is the world out there.

Where were you going to start with all these large amounts of words?

Well, that is where the importance of summarizing comes up.

At school we are constantly forced to sum up an article. Too often we just shorten it and use different words (like finding the word ‘required’ and simply

ummary

f high-school replace it with ‘needed’ )

But it ain’t like that in the Real World.

Summary is also important in ‘ old school’. The difference between ‘minutes’ and ‘summary’? Imagine you are taking minutes of a meeting. Of course you reference what each and everyone said during those four hours of boring time waste.

Those are the minutes. But the summary: “after four hours of repeated statements from all involved, the meeting concluded that wind power will not be pursued for the next 50 years”. Now that is a summary!

Why was Winston in numerous long meetthings during WWII? Beto a lot of input (verbal that one or two points the important stuff – the it!

Churchill so successful ings on life-and-death cause he could listen in google) and draw out which were essential – SUMMARY. And act on

Why is Branson successin meetings, finding the the 200 page report, finding that exact point – the “AHAAA”, the

ful? same story: sitting ‘gold dust’ or reading skipping half of it and – the Eureka moment SUMMARY!

So, look out for my next article which will give you the tools to find the AHAA moment.

By Masiziba Hadebe

Careers: Health Practitioner ‘Sis Popi’ that is what we call her. She is a role model to many of us young girls in my community.

She does health promotion work— where she openly discusses issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, personal hygiene and teenage pregnancy amongst many other issues. If you think you have met an upstanding person —wait till you meet her!

She believes that her job builds young people, specifically young women, to be future leaders, and make their future shine a little bit brighter.

A strong woman, she says, is someone who stands up for herself, who is brave in facing challenges head on and do not run away from situations that may distract her making a significant contribution in other people’s lives. She even made a practical example of herself.

“There are some serious challenges we face at work” she says. The government doesn’t give them enough resources to do their jobs effectively. She says that with mobile clinics, some people are not reachable but if they had a horn or hailer, for example, then the message that these talks will be hosted will surely reach the target audience.

“And even tents could be useful, enabling a bit of privacy” she said because then more people will feel comfortable talking about the issues they might be facing regarding their health.

However, despite all these challenges, she keeps on pushing, doing house to house intervention, and going from one school to another, being brutally honest about some of the issues we face as high school learners.

She has been my role model, and experience can beat any level of education.

She is one proof of that. She has been able to provide us excellent information regarding lifestyle choices, even better than any life orientation session could.

She is an inspirational woman!

By Masiziba Hadebe.

Masiziba: M My stairway Talent without skill is simply nothing, I believe. And yes, Hola MA high school has, in fact, developed my talent and now I too can say I have a ‘skill’.

The minute I got the opportunity to write for Hola MA high school, at age 16, I felt something good was happening for me.

It has given me a platform to speak because writing is not only one way to speak but another to make a difference in many people’s lives without being there, physically, in their geographical area.

I remember I couldn’t use some of the parts of speech (i.e. comma) very well, and I never knew that I had that weakness —all I wanted to do was write, write and write!

And, just like most people my age, I didn’t acknowledge the importance of planning before writing.

My first article, 16 days of activism against women and children abuse, was by far one of the interesting articles I have ever wrote. It was the first time I knew how it felt to be a ‘journo’. I spoke to my community leader, conducted my first ever interview with her, and spoke to my peers as the bigger person that I have always dreamt of being. To top that off, I was so excited that my work was going to be published and I was, finally, going be a writer.

Those were the emotions at that time. On the other hand, I was supposed to do the planning(the first ever to be taken seriously), and I came up with approximately 8 points, then I was told that out of the 8, I had to only use 2 of those points, those points being those that I felt strongly about. . . Well, eventually I did although it was very

My own story y to stardom hard because here I was thinking I got it all under control.

Allowing myself to learn, I did what I was told to. The end product was top of the notch—the layout was wonderful, it all looked professional. I had, from that point, understood that planning was important, it should not be done for the mere fact that it’s compulsory but because it actually helps you literally in your writing.

If you had, a few months back, asked me what nuclear energy was, I would have completely ran away. This is because I would have been clueless about nuclear power.

Since writing for Hola, I got the opportunity to write a series of articles that have cool, vibrant and enriching topics like “Uniform or not?” “Racism and social Media, no place to hide!” “Aargh the Summary!” “Nuclear energy and its systems.” “June 16!” “Coal is not green!” Those are some of the articles which I am very proud of.

Do you also have a burning passion for writing? Are you willing to take your passion for writing a little further? I do through writing for Hola MA high school.

The Hola team has also treated me very well by offering all their expertise and time to help me be a writer of standard at my age hence I have honestly learnt a lot, and trust me I am still learning.

By Masiziba Hadebe.

The Dangers of Nuclear Where will nuclear waste be disposed? Why is the Koeberg nuclear power plant built very far from the community? And lastly, will the Nuclear-Energy suppliers be able to ever guarantee the safety of using Nuclear?

Whether those questions were to be answered or not, the track record of ‘nuclear power’ shows nuclear energy as not only with serious dangers but also with potential long term negative effects. The effects are mostly in terms of leakage (radiation) and safe handling of waste material.

There are advancements in Nuclear-Technology, but can it guarantee safety?

Nuclear Waste According to reports, a TRADITIONAL nuclear power plant produces some 25-30 tons of nuclear waste each year, and some of this waste is extremely dangerous. The newer types of reactors (see my previous articles) produces far less high-radioactive waste.

The dangerous waste is referred to as high-level waste but there is also low-level waste which contains very little radioactivity. These types are typically simple materials such as workers clothing and old equipment. That said, it is still too radioactive to just discard.

High-level radioactive wastes include highly radioactive materials produced as byproducts of the reactions that occur inside nuclear reactors.

Types of such materials are Flourine, Calcium, Cobalt, Strontium, Iodine, Xenon, Thorium etc. They are isotopes of what is otherwise found in nature and by and large can be absorbed in animals and humans as the body cannot distinguish between the ‘natural’ one and the isotope.

Dangers mutations, aged DNA scenarios we They are

to health are cancer, radiation sickness, damand all the other horror otherwise read about.

REALITY, though.

Dangers of nucl Spent nuclear fuel is used fuel that is no longer efficient in creating electricity, as its fission process has slowed. However, it is still thermally hot, highly radioactive, and potentially harmful. Nuclear waste has to be moved from one place to another as a plant typically does not have a permanent storage facility. Wherever possible, it is moved through areas where not many people live (e.g. Koeberg nuclear power Plant). But what about terrorist hi-jackings?

Hollywood has plenty of those types of movies.

Storage facilities are only now being created according to safety standards. The half-life of some of the waste products are short (like 30 years) to millions of years (lower-level radioactive). But it does not remove the fact that all of it represents a danger if let loose.

Suggestions rage from dumping it in the oceans close to undersea volcanoes to be sucked into the Earth’s mantle. Deep-sea deposit, buried in mud (which will encapsulate it), deep in a mountain (away from disaster zones i.e. earth quakes, etc). If viewed over a time span of 24,000 years, it still does not look safe.

It might be very seldom that something goes wrong in the transportation of nuclear waste but when it does, the consequences are far more dramatic than any other type of industrial accident.

Nuclear Accidents Nuclear accidents have happened before. And On 26 April 1986, the worst nuclear accident happened at Chernobyl , in the Ukraine A huge fire broke out and a massive explosion lifted the reactor’s 1,000-tonne lid, scattering tons of radioactive fuel.

But Chernobyl could have been avoided. It was negligence and bad management. The disaster began during a systems ‘test’ that day in the Chernobyl plant.

Then the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which happened on 11 March 2011 was initiated primarily by the tsunami following the Tōhoku earthquake. Immediately after the earthquake, the active reactors automatically shut down their sustained fission reactions. However, the tsunami destroyed the emergency generators cooling the reactors, causing

lear - continued reactor 4 to overheat from the decay heat from the fuel rods. The insufficient cooling led to three nuclear meltdowns and the release of radioactive material beginning on 12 March. Several hydrogen-air chemical explosions occurred between 12 March and 15 March.

On 12 October 2012, the first time that it had failed for fear of inviting lawnuclear plants. Nobody imcome their way; hence the account. And that is then never happen’ scenarios

operator admitted for the to take necessary measures suits or protests against its agined that a tsunami could design never took it into the question: what ‘can have we forgotten?

People across the globe are trying to stop the development of nuclear energy because of the belief that it will never be a safe source of energy. Germany is switching off their nuclear plants as there is a groundswell of resistance to nuclear power. In Denmark, the government decided not to build nuclear power stations after a huge number of ‘normal’ people wore badges saying ‘Nuclear Power ? No thanks!’

Another fact is that there are many other nuclear accidents and the consequences have been dire when it goes wrong!

Nuclear proliferation Whether we like it or not, nuclear energy production is ultimately linked to nuclear weapons – the bomb! Is it fair? Maybe not, but perception is reality.

And that is what we need to look at next time.

By Masiziba Hadebe

The cost of nuclear South Africans and expenditures! They‘ll rip you apart if you do not provide, to some degree, something legit. So how much will the government expend on this widely projected nuclear investment?

A new study by EE Publishers looks at the initial capital cost as well as the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) generated by the proposed 9,6 GW new-nuclear build in South Africa.

The EE Publishers study estimated that an initial overnight capital cost (including owner’s development costs, but excluding interest during construction) of the 9, 6 GW new-nuclear build at US $50-billion (R776-billion at a rate of exchange of $1 = R14). Imagine by 2030!

The levelised cost of electricity (at base date May 2016) is calculated to be R1, 30 per kWh under the stated assumptions, rising to R1,52 per kWh if Koeberg’s fuel, operating and maintenance costs per kWh are used in the calculation.

As assumptions roam around the economic world, it is estimated that Decommissioning and long-term waste disposal costs can safely be ignored for discount rates of 8% or higher. This is because Decommissioning and long-term waste disposal only becomes relevant when the discount rate is low, which is what nuclear proponents argue should be the case.

Then we have the long-term waste management, handling and storage costs. The EE publishers have used the German Government as reference clearly stating that since having failed to transfer all liabilities of decommissioning and long-term waste disposal to society, German nuclear power plant owners recently reached an agreement with the German government for the transfer of €23,3-billion into a fund (i.e. about US $1200 per installed kW), and for the government to take over all risks and liabilities related to long-term nuclear waste management, handling and storage. The decommissioning liability remains with the nuclear power plant owners.

Again, because privately owned, for-profit companies made the offer to government, one can assume that the cost of long-term waste management, handling and storage is at least US $1200 per installed kW. Life extension costs: The bulk of all nuclear power plants in service today were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and hence are between 25 and 45 years old. According to the World Nuclear Association’s Reactor Database, the oldest operational nuclear

r: how to calculate reactors came online in 1969. Hence, no nuclear plant that is operational today has experienced a lifetime of 60 years.

However, the LCOE calculations in the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) 2010-2030 and the 2013 Draft IRP Update Report (and therefore in this study too) assume a plant economic life of 60 years, with no major refurbishment or overhaul capital costs factored in at midlife.

It is said to be an unrealistic assumption that should be reviewed in further IRP updates, or alternatively a shorter economic life of 30 to 40 years should be assumed.

However, the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA)’s own model calculations showed that Based on more realistic assumptions(according to NIASA), including taking into account the high external costs of coal, the cost of nuclear waste management and plant decommissioning, the longer 60 year plant lives of new nuclear plants, nuclear power is substantially cheaper than coal. If these assumptions had been applied in the Base Case of the IRP Update, as it should have been since adding external costs is confirmed Government policy, nuclear would have been the preferred power source, after hydro, which is not always readily available.

The LCOEs of Nuclear are substantially lower than coal at low WACCs, even when the nuclear overnight cost is increased to the much dreaded $7,000/kW-installed.

Therefore the cap on the overnight cost for nuclear, proposed in the IRP Update, is largely meaningless and should rather be replaced by a cap on the LCOE, which will for all the plant types be determined by the combined effects of WACC, overnight cost, external costs and system costs, such as expensive pumped storage plants required to move the oversupply of power by PV solar panels during mid-day to the evening demand peak. This cap on the LCOE should then be applied to all the power sources, rather than to only single nuclear out.

The external cost of Generation III nuclear accidents is approximately 50 times lower than that of coal. This shows that, in spite of the image of nuclear power as a grave threat to humanity (Read my previous articles), as it is regularly portrayed by anti-nuclear organisations. Generation III nuclear power plants actually have the potential to save humanity from the grave health threats posed by the toxic emissions from coal power plants according to NIASA.

Costs - continued All the flaws in the IRP Update conspired to drastically overestimate the LCOE of nuclear and to drastically underestimate the LCOEs of coal, PV-solar, and wind. Therefore nuclear capacity was suppressed or even absent in most of the scenarios of the IRP. However, our own modelling results showed that, once one corrects these flaws, nuclear easily outperform all its competitors, except hydro which is not readily available in South Africa. Therefore nuclear should neither be scaled down nor be delayed.

The logical solution, according to NIASA, is then to make long term construction commitments to supply the minimum expected base-load demand with nuclear plants and the demand peaks with peaking technologies such as gas turbines and hydro. As and when unexpected demand increases appear imminent, the other plant types, with their shorter lead times, can then be rolled out quickly in order to supply this excess demand.

Nuclear then become the cheap base-load foundation upon which the other, mostly more expensive, technologies can be added.

The abundant and affordable power produced in this way should then be used to stimulate the electricity intensive primary and secondary sectors of the economy, in order to create jobs for unskilled and semi-skilled workers as part of a pro-poor strategy.

They recommended that the calculations of the IRP Update be ‘repeated’ with the said corrections to the modelling assumptions.

The Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) has also welcomed the recent statements made by Eskom and the minister of Public Enterprises that nuclear energy is South Africa’s most viable option for safe, reliable, green and affordable base load power.

Investments in nuclear power plants will just be the beginning, they say- supply chains, jobs, skills development, industry and education will all benefit from this investment. Nuclear power will benefit all South Africans in one way or another. This is in line with the government’s 9-point plan which looks to resolve the country’s energy challenges through short, medium-term and long-term measures. A secure energy future is guaranteed through nuclear power.

The development of the nuclear power industry will have to prove to be a significant developer to strengthen the South African economy because billions of rands will be spent in the building of nuclear power plants that will power South Africa for decades to come (read my previous articles).

But hopefully, a secure energy future that will not only contribute to a broad economy but also one that builds skills, infrastructure and encourages investments, and hence reducing poverty and decrease inequality since jobs will be created, skills shared and the industry as a whole developed.

By Masiziba Hadebe

Diamond boy is a book published by Oxford

university press and is written by Michael Williams — a world renowned South African author.

Having read his crocodile burning novel in grade 10, I had expectations of an intense, African and gripping storyline of the diamond boy, and this diamond-rush story met up to the standards.

It is based upon a fifteen year old Tshona boy, Patson, whom ( including his family ) is on journey of seeking wealth and unfortunately in the heart of Zimbabwe’s illegal diamond trait—Marange.

Hoping for a better life in Marange, they arrive to only find a dreadful lifestyle which lead to the far-reaching change of ‘the’ athlete to become a mere mineworker under an illegal syndicate.

Trouble begins when he finds 3 Girazis (large shiny diamonds) because of luck. But unfortunately due to the greed facing both the illegal syndicate and the government officials he ends up being a ‘one-legged stumpy boy’ who uses crutches to walk since he was shot.

The story is written in the first person narrative which makes the story subjective. It has even Whatsapp-written text between Patson and his girlfriend giving it a modern touch.

The book is also immaculately designed to help the reader understand the story by highlighting notes on the margins and the usage of footnotes at the bottom of the page for word meanings and Tshona translations to English.

This good book’s motive is basically to say to the reader” never ever give up”

By Masiziba Hadebe

The Bomb!

Finally, I get to explore the commonly feared and most rational, emotional reason behind why nuclear energy is so dangerous and that is nuclear bombs!

If we should ever get into a real nuclear war where nation-states release their arsenal and we see multiple nuclear explosions with associated fall-out, the world will cease to exist.

Not only will countless millions of people die in the blasts, but the few survivors will probably not survive for long as the entire planet will be poisoned for hundreds of years.

But then a limited exchange or just a few bombs? Look at Chernobyl (my previous article). That was equivalent to a small bomb. The conclusion is simple: even a few bombs can destabilise our way of life.

That makes the bomb a great terrorist weapon.

Surrounding a nuclear weapon with suitable materials (such as cobalt or gold) creates a weapon known as a salted bomb. This device can produce exceptionally large quantities of long-lived radioactive contamination.

It has been estimated that such a device could serve as a “doomsday weapon” because such a large quantity of radioactivity with half-lives of decades, lifted into the stratosphere where wind currents would distribute it around the globe, would make all life on the planet extinct—believe it or not!

Although H. G. Wells was inspired to write about atomic weapons in a 1914 novel, The World Set Free, which appeared shortly before the First World War. The implications of nuclear bombs have been much more devastating; leaving parts of the world turned upside down more than he could have imagined.

Nuclear security is hard to control especially in the midst of so many nuclear-bomb possibilities.

One nuclear security problem in South Africa made all the connotations around nuclear security believable through the incident of the armed attack on the nuclear facility, shortly after midnight on 8 November 2007.

What happened was that four armed men entered the facility and headed towards a control room in the eastern block. According to the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA), the four “technically sophisticated criminals” deactivated several layers of security, including a 10,000-volt electrical fence, suggesting insider knowledge of the system. So it can happen.

Can nuclear security then be ever managed?

Nuclear terrorism, according to a 2011 report published by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University, can be executed and distinguished via four pathways The use of a nuclear weapon that has been stolen or purchased on the black market The use of a crude explosive device built by terrorists or by nuclear scientists who the terrorist organization has furtively recruited.

The use of an explosive device constructed by terrorists and their accomplices using their own fissile material The acquisition of fissile material from a nation-state.

U.S. President Barack Obama calls nuclear terrorism “the single most important national security threat that we face”. In his first speech to the U.N. Security Council, President Obama said that “Just one nuclear weapon exploded in a city -- be it New York or Moscow, Tokyo or Beijing, London or Paris -- could kill hundreds of thousands of people”. It would “destabilize our security, our economies, and our very way of life.

The bomb - continued The danger is if a terrorist group ‘buy’ a bomb and gets the codes for setting it off.

Which nation-state would sell a bomb to such a group? Maybe none, but if the nation-state is in turmoil? There was a case made that Russia’s arsenal could be ‘sold off’ to anyone interested by disgruntled former officers.

Terrorists can however spread radioactive materials all over by normal explosives and that will still kill and make life impossible in the afflicted areas. And that is probable also good enough to a terrorist.

World leaders joined to form a world summit known as the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) that is aimed at preventing nuclear terrorism around the globe.

The first summit was held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 12–13, 2010. The second summit was held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2012. The third summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands, on March 24–25, 2014. The fourth summit was held in Washington, D.C. on March 31-April 1, 2016 The commitments made in NSS (Washington) in 2010 was that leaders jointly affirmed the seriousness and urgency of the threat posed by nuclear terrorism. The participating countries agreed to work to secure all vulnerable nuclear material worldwide. The participating countries agreed to shoulder their responsibility for securing nuclear material within their own borders.

The threats are real. The official number of nuclear devices in the world is 10,144 per 2014. If anyone should get hold on a few including the arming codes, we have a problem.

It can also be to ‘invade’ a nuclear reactor and create a deliberate accident like Chernobyl (as could have happened in South Africa) or just to capture nuclear waste products and pollute an entire city like New York.

There are plenty of options outside of a nuclear blast.

To top that off, the possibility that an atomic device being surrounded by materials such as cobalt or gold creates a weapon that can produce exceptionally large quantities of long-lived radioactive contamination.

All I can say is good luck to the world leaders in preventing the use of nuclear weaponry particularly nuclear bombs.

By Masiziba Hadebe.

Career choice - d Okay. For interesting careers, just read previous Hola Ma High School editions. Google. Check out the salary. Potential employers.

Attire. Corporate or not. Bla bla . . .

But when choosing a career, it is not just only about that.

A third of Graduates in my community do not get jobs, not because there are no jobs or because they are stupid but because they did not choose the right career.

So how does one choose the ‘right career’?

Ability can simply be explained by stating the facts about you. What you can really do.

Academic results, especially when you are in grade nine, should give you the direct pathway to the right subjects.

You are not forced to take Math and Science as subjects if you know you don’t have that ability. Go where you belong and strive to be competitive there. No-one will ever understand you like you understand yourself. Believe in yourself and what you can do. And don’t let anyone ‘bully’ you into doing things you are not cut out to do. Not even parents!

Parents should be able to know their children and what they can do. In that way they can be able to support their children in every good way possible and make them productive human beings.

Health is another important aspect of

do the right one career choice and it continues to broaden my definition of ability.

You cannot be a game ranger if you and the sun are water and electricity. Your health might prove you are allergic to the sun.

And you cannot stand or walk for long periods of time. So, in this case, is being a ranger applicable?

Fitness is important for careers too.

It is one fact about us that we can change to better our career statuses and it is very important to remember that fitness does not imply that one should be slim or overweight or anything of that nature. However, it ignites the level to which the extent that one can cope with immense physical pressure.

This career hierarchy is dependent on parents who should know their children so that they can sit down with them, and explain what the key requirements are in choosing a career. These children in turn, with the support from parents, can do what they are able to do.

A career that is accompanied by thorough research regarding you, is perfect. And it should include your abilities. Health wise. Fit wise. And most importantly: what YOU want to do in life.

By MASIZIBA HADEBE

Starting at univer Our star writer Masiziba has now gone to University of the Free State. BUT we will still be able to enjoy her articles. Herfe is the first one: Starting a new life is both exciting and ‘scary’: University. Nothing like I expected. It is a huge place.

Everyone. Different personalities, lifestyles and privileges. It is hard to find your way around both geographically and personally.

If you are living in a commune or residence, you must share everything with everyone. It is not like home where you know you have your own room and you can play music as loud as you like.

Textbooks, rent, food, stationery, and tuition is so expensive. And some have the privilege of driving their own cars around campus while others don’t. Others get to shop at the Mall while others have never even tiptoed inside.

Some are still waiting to register. Others are already swiping their student cards and accessing their online platforms.

During lectures, some have textbooks. And some don’t.

But on a personal level, I feel Responsibility has been forefront because what is prevalent is that university does not carry flowers only, but thorns too.

There are people who try and influence you to be what you are not. They want you to lose yourself and become who they want you to be.

They try to tell you the cool places. What to spend on. What to wear. Who to greet and how.

rsity. By Masiziba Then when you say no. You don’t fit in anymore. You are a complete outsider. You are treated differently. You don’t blend in.

But at least you are still yourself. You know what you came for in varsity. To study. And it is your responsibility. There are holidays where you can socialize all you like. But now, especially first year, there is lot of work. And it is not high school where you still have parents or teachers watching your every move.

I know it might sound fun and very tempting to hear all the parties and the DJ’s playing.

However, is it worthwhile especially just when the key of independence has been given to you?

The sad fact about varsity is that (so say all my lecturers) that fifty percent of first years make it to second year. And in translation, it means that only a few get to have the real experience of varsity.

Sadly, some portion of those who do not make it, have them solely to blame. They forgot their values and why they came to varsity. Never took on the responsibility to do what they were supposed to do in varsity.

For the first week at varsity, I had already made enemies, friends and gathered a lot of emotions. I am still trying to find my feet. And everything seems hard. But I will always find the strength and will to remain true to myself and who I am.

And I will be a second year. No matter what.

By MASIZIBA HADEBE

Stagedoor -

Stage door is a first-year showcase event where talented first years are chosen to participate in drama and singing. It aims to make a statement about issues on campus through Art. However, there is a debate around whether one should encourage first years to participate in such events mainly since they are finding their feet. Some first year parents do get overwhelmed and feel it is absolutely the wrong time for events like these.

For some, being part of Stage Door has been extremely fun while others have felt the need to pull out because of seeking “a balance” and finding their way around.

Stagedoor 2017 took place on 4 march 2017 at Kovsie Church. This event consisted of eight junior residences that went through to the finals. These residences performed their drama and singing on a wide variety of venues the day before finals around campus—rotations so as to gain access to the finals. Their themed drama and singing tackled some of the widely controversial issues of our society under catch phrase “let’s make stage door great again”.

Some of the issues tackled were the registration frustration, the current state of the Springboks, and communication and/or customer care while others were putting emphasis on how life and 2017 should be made great again, and of course, the game of South African politics.

Within the depth of their catch phrases came along other controversies such as the management of the University, Shimla report and how there were strikes in September 2016 plus the “one”

2017 - at UFS returning NSFAS student.

The first years and spectators also had fun. The prescribed joke was “catch me outside” and they pulled it off from all angles. Some residences also threw some shade onto other residences which sparked a lot of energy in the crowd.

The singing and dancing was exceptional too. The main theme song was ‘we don’t talk anymore’. It was a unifying song that every group had to sing. It somehow summed up the message that they were sending. They suggested that all these topics could be tackled through intensive dialogues and not just through the cracked screens of phones and Social Media.

Kgomotso, a first year from Beyers Naudé, won the dance-off.

Other winners included Bacon (Beyers Naudé and ConLaurês) who won best singing for the theme song and best catch phrase and came overall second place. The best actress was from Marjolein while the best actor was from Armentum who portrayed the character of Moafrika.

However, the overall winners were Sonnedou and Roosmaryn who walked away with a cash price of R7,000 each and Red Bull drinks and bragging rights for the whole year.

By: Masiziba Hadebe

Wasting food: w On a daily basis, most people tend to simply focus on themselves where everything they do affects them only. This is especially what is thought to be the case with food wastage.

According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), about onethird of all food produced worldwide, worth around US$1 trillion, gets lost or wasted in food production and consumption systems.

Individuals happen to be part of those production and consumption systems. One kilogram of potatoes produced by a farmer who survived the drought can be a three day serving for at least two people. However, we find people buying excess amounts of potatoes where some will go to waste. The supermarket packaging of potatoes (in this example) may not suit a family’s consumption. And even worse: the specials! Buy x kg of potatoes at only Y and save Z. So we buy it (because we ‘save money’). Then two weeks later, some of those potatoes are found in the garbage.

Growing food allows you to have your own ‘eat by’ date and it makes a vital difference.

On the surface of all the hard work, growing your own food has a collection of benefits to everyone and the

what a waste! rest of the world. Growing food means less cost for a household and less lost to the garbage which then translates to a decrease in the stats of food wastage.

Should we then grow all the veggies required? Maybe not. Setting aside a piece for say potatoes, spinach and onions and buying carrots in the shop will still help a lot (carrots from the garden have a tendency to be attacked by insects-Hard to grow).

The misconception is that saving food means buying minimal food or giving away food before it rots.

The quest is to produce food on a suitable scale, on a scale that will make one person feed a household.

That is not at the expense of the general society after consumption.

In a world that is food insecure, growing food simply means contributing to a decrease in the wasted food that could have fed the 795 million undernourished people around the world who suffer from hunger ‘.

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. (World Food Summit, 1996) and Growing food is a major contribution to food security.

By Masiziba Hadebe

4

th 9 ere

9

T

A

pr

il

1

N O as w

I

Freedom is som ers all the rights,

I can walk into a clinic know or my financial sta age, had no opportunities to her, primary health care w

Freedom of expression is further e still receive the view of others throug about certain things and gives us the fr dispensable and without it, we wouldn’t b

Freedom continues to give us a right to choose want to associate with. No government or teache friends or the religion we should practice. We can b Nevertheless, freedom comes with responsibility.

Pitching up at a traffic department and expecting a licence fo freedom, is absurd because I have to work for it first. Conversely shouldn’t shred the future of this country through abrupt commen ductivity and turn future professors to illegal protestors.

In addition, there are miscon our freedom. People think it really, the case should lie in w with the freedom of choosin a shot at the job where the e

Sincerely as a born free, I lov I want, as long as I work for it and take responsibility. My educatio should respect and partake in freedom day because we have a lot t

mething that born-frees like me experience on its best level. It cov, not ‘privileges’, that we can implement in our dynamic lives.

c and ask for primary health care, not because of ethnicity or who I atus but because I can. My grandmother, however, at the very same like these. She had to save money for treating a common cold and was a privilege not a right.

evidence of our freedom. We can voice our thoughts, opinions and gh platforms such as social media. This shapes our understanding reedom again to make our own decisions. It is one thing that is inbe the generation that we are.

e our religion and the people we er have the right to choose our be who we want to be.

or free, thinking it is part of my y, my freedom of expression nts that can put particular individuals down and reduce their pro-

nceptions. Employment perfectly explains false impression about t is part of their freedom to automatically somehow get a job. But working to acquire the skills and/or qualifications that can equip us ng our own work and having the right, not privilege, of being given employer can’t get rid of you that easily without a solid reason.

ve my freedom. I have the freedom to study what I want wherever on is no longer a privilege but a right. Then, as this generation, we to be thankful for.

Masiziba Hadebe

Going home

Time for holidays and well, residences and campus start emptying out. case?

These holidays mark three months of not going home if you live extrem father or siblings for months. And if your b

Phone calls and pictures are not enough. A home more. The desperate need to fast-for there. Especially if you are first year. As a fi not adjusted to varsity life.

However, some, even though they want to question of whether the trip will be econom trips require Two thousand rand for going may need a textbook or food (since 70% of

Others m there will after the endar cle translates whole we ing for th probably few ends home) ex dents (M

I went home either way, I missed my family a lot. It was so sad leaving home, I was so glad to physically see all my loved ones, even though it

Masiziba

for holidays

. Almost everyone is willing to go home. But why is that really the

mely far away. This simply means that you have not seen your mother, boyfriend/girlfriend is not in the same institution; them too.

As soon as the final week of the first quarter starts, you start to miss rward time to when you hop into that bus or taxi just to go home is first year, you are used to being at home and in some cases you have

go home, really cannot. This is because of financial troubles and the mical or not. These holidays were only cut out for a week, and some and another two thousand rand for coming back while the student f the students on campus are food insecure).

may simply decide not to go home because they know when at home, l be no studying. Immediately holidays, the university calearly states “test week”. This s to back to back tests for the eek. This means more studyhe less-prepared (those who y were at home) and tying a s (for those who did not go xcluding postgraduate stuMaster and Honour students).

the university behind, but I missed home dearly. As soon as I arrived t is for a week.

a Hadebe

Energy Poverty Imagine a life without TV, not cooking on a stove, not boiling that cup of coffee on a cold winter day; it must be a frightening! Unfortunately, there are people who do not have access to energy that fulfils those desires.

Energy poverty is defined as the absence of modern energy services to an enormous number of people in developing countries and several people in developed countries. In fact, 17% of the world population (1.2 billion people) lack access to electricity.

This translates to the fact that some people have no access to fridges, or adequate energy services to meet many of their basic needs. Hence, their standard of living is greatly reduced.

90 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa go to primary schools that lack electricity. In Burundi and Guinea only 2% of schools are electrified, while in DR Congo there are only 8% school electrification for a population of 75.5 million.

So how do they survive without modern energy services?

Well, they resort to biomass energy, which is the usage of firewood and charcoal. This traditional energy source is physically tormenting to a human being and to the environment.

Sustainable Energy for All, an initiative launched in 2011 by UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and co-led by World Bank President

reality for many Jim Kim, plans to avert energy poverty. In September 2015, the world’s leaders came together to agree on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) based on this. One of those goals, SDG 7, calls for Sustainable Energy for All initiative to secure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.

Moreover, energy poverty is tackled by personalities within the entertainment industry. Renowned Eritrean model, Grace Mahary, kick-started her own non-profit organization, Project Tseigh, to help her country overcome energy poverty. She recalls, in an interview with OkayAfrica, how she left Eritrea at age 14 to venture into modelling.

However, when she returned to Eritrea as an adult, she did not even know whether there were toilets or electricity.

This was in addition to the fact that during her modelling career, she had travelled to regions where energy poverty was a serious issue, and felt that was a pivotal moment for her to start this project to fight energy poverty.

If you are a human being who has access to toilets, the ability to watch TV or the opportunity to go to an electrified school while a portion of the world population does not, you should be thankful, because energy poverty is reality.

By: Masiziba Hadebe

Varsity life is not ju there but making th I remember my teacher back in high school while taking attendance and looking at our sad, emotionless faces in class, and he would simply say “you know, in varsity, you don’t have to attend class” while ticking off our names with a smile.

Although there are few modules taking attendance, going to class in varsity is actually a choice. What is even worse is that life gets difficult and varsity choices dictate whether you make it there or not.

A test arrives, with a multiple choice and written section. You sit next to this student, whose pen moves so fast, you cannot understand how they do it; The invigilator then suddenly shouts”10 minutes left”. After the test, you hear students (who attend class) mention how the lecturer did a similar problem. Then everyone realises how important this is.

Is it a trend to skip classes? Very bad idea. To succeed, you certainly need to put in all the work, including attending all classes and tutorials.

In fact, research shows that an A student only skips one class on average per semester (usually from February to June) compared to other students.

In addition, students who study with

ust about making it hings happen there! the added information from lectures and tutorials are more likely to pass.

However, there are students who face problems and really cannot attend class. Some have too little transport money to attend classes since they live far away.

Despite the difficulties, all students still have the responsibility to ask for lecture notes from fellow students, and make use of educational facilities such as lecturer consultation hours for a module Q&A with the lecturer in their office, and pushing to study hard enough not to experience any surprises during tests.

Some do not go to class even during predicate day, the day where marks are published. The students will not know whether they qualify for an exam or not, and that is silly. It is one thing to attend classes but not put in the good effort to ensure a pass is something else.

University is all about what you put in, and it is not easy.

By: Masiziba Hadebe

Exams at university can be daunting. I recently learnt that. It is a dire situation where you have to expect the best and the worst at the same time.

Lack of time management can literally terminate any chance of one passing the paper. In addition to this, the paper set-up influences the level of thinking.

The longer the question paper, the more time allocation it needs.

The attention span of an average human on one thing is about 20 minutes, although a person can still decide to re-focus. That adds another 20 minutes on average.

Furthermore, the amount and quality of studying influences time management. If one panics and suddenly goes blank, the mind then lacks efficiency to answer any questions. This usually happens to students who go through the paper and realise they could have enrolled for a sick test instead, either because of the amount or wrong method of studying, and in some cases, incorrect work.

However, those students who are able to link ideas and recall “possible” answers tend to be more efficient and answer questions more effectively. Therefore, the amount and quality of studying influences how the mind will operate, and “what the mind conceives and believes, the mind achieves” —Napoleon Hill.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ’s) places some students into a mode of ease. It is believed that answers are there, and one has to “link an answer” to the questions. This type of set up needs

extensive studying especially for ‘reading’ for modules such as biology or history. MCQ’s consist of a stem, the correct answer, keyed alternatives, and distractors.

Moreover, problem-solving and higher-order reasoning skills are assessed through short-answer and essay tests. This too requires quality studying.

It is important for one to prepare in small, minute steps of studying. This is recommended for engineering students as engineering, (as an example) requires build up. This is where the minute steps come into play.

In any case, to get into a university exam, you have to qualify for your exam based on your semester mark, which is commonly a combination of assignments and tests. Then you have to obtain a certain percentage in the exam, and a specific overall mark to pass. In addition to this, you are expected to submit all assignments or else you receive an incomplete that translates to a fail.

At the end of the day, one cannot afford to fail or miss any assessment.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agricultural scie We know that Masiziba is doing Agricultural ‘things’ at UFS, but what is ‘agricultural science’ really all about?

Of course agriculture has been a part of humanity for the last 10,000 years or more. Growing crops for food and having animals to eat, well, that has been a hallmark of civilisation. But science?

Science is such a big word, and we know about the Greeks and science and the Egyptians as well. So science? And agriculture?

Let us (as usual) turn to Wiki: “Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture” “Agriculture, agricultural science, and agronomy The three terms are often confused. However, they cover different concepts: •

•

Agriculture is the set of activities that transform the environment for the production of animals and plants for human use.

Agriculture concerns techniques, including the application of agronomic research.

Agronomy is research and development related to studying and improving plant-based crops.

Agricultural sciences include research and development on: • •

Production techniques (e.g., irrigation management, recommended nitrogen inputs) Improving agricultural productivity in terms of quantity and quality (e.g., selection of drought-resistant crops and animals, development of new pesticides, yield-sensing technologies,

ence at a glance • • • • •

• •

simulation models of crop growth, in-vitro cell culture techniques) Minimizing the effects of pests (weeds, insects, pathogens, nematodes) on crop or animal production systems.

Transformation of primary products into end-consumer products (e.g., production, preservation, and packaging of dairy products) Prevention and correction of adverse environmental effects (e.g., soil degradation, waste management, bioremediation) Theoretical production ecology, relating to crop production modeling Traditional agricultural systems, sometimes termed subsistence agriculture, which feed most of the poorest people in the world. These systems are of interest as they sometimes retain a level of integration with natural ecological systems greater than that of industrial agriculture, which may be more sustainable than some modern agricultural systems.

Food production and demand on a global basis, with special attention paid to the major producers, such as China, India, Brazil, the USA and the EU. Various sciences relating to agricultural resources and the environment (e.g. soil science, agroclimatology); biology of agricultural crops and animals (e.g. crop science, animal science and their included sciences, e.g. ruminant nutrition, farm animal welfare); such fields as agricultural economics and rural sociology; various disciplines encompassed in agricultural engineering.

With this I rest my case. This is as hi-tech as it can be! and remember, the World population is rising and we need to be fed all of us.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agricultural Biotechn Let us look at just aspect of agricultural science: Agricultural biotechnology.

Wiki says: “Agricultural biotechnology, also known as agritech, is an area of agricultural science involving the use of scientific tools and techniques, including genetic engineering, molecular markers, molecular diagnostics, vaccines, and tissue culture, to modify living organisms: plants, animals, and microorganisms. Crop Biotechnology is one aspect of Agricultural Biotechnology which has been greatly developed upon in recent times.

Desired traits are exported from a particular species of crop to an entirely different species. These transgene crops possess desirable characteristics in terms of flavor, color of flowers, growth rate, size of harvested products and resistance to diseases and pests”.

Cross-breeding of especially plants has been done for thousands of years. Nothing new there. It is the application of a bit of science to it which also made the industrial revolution possible. Feeding a growing population based on ‘old’ methods would simply not have been possible.

Look at it this way, the population of UK in year 1800 was some 10 million. In 1841 it was 16

nology: the answer? million. Now it is 65 million. See my point?

So what is the new thing? It is indeed to be found in the above quote: “Desired traits are exported from a particular species of crop to an entirely different species”. This is where genetic modification and genetic engineering comes into play.

It is of course mighty complex. It is important to know exactly which gene is coding for what and to be able to ‘slice’ the right part and combine into the target species. Just the molecular slicing tools are a science all by itself.

All of that said, the results are spectacular. Is it the next revolution in agricultural science? Well, if the world population is growing with the same rate as now, something has to happen. And that just might be genetic engineering.

The big question is of course: are we playing God and tinkering with things better left alone? … and that question we will leave to you to answer!

Masiziba Hadebe

Masiziba at Univer To volunteer is to offer to do something freely while community work includes one being involved in local or neighbourhood groups or associations and volunteering ; basically being an unpaid worker willing to be involved in a non-profit, or charitable organisation or association for public benefit work.

During my June holidays, I decided to volunteer for different organisations including ploughing back to my previous high school and offering to

help at a centre for impoverished children.

The centre offered 2 day meal to all ages of children, whether in high school or primary school with additional support with their homework’s. This is an initiative supported by the Social Development and a church from my community.

My assistance made me experience a handful of emotions. I re-realised that poverty is such an issue, and how it could never be something ‘normal’ especially in rural areas. In addition, all forms of assistance do go a long way in empowering these children. Especially when they begin to believe that these temporary circumstances do not determine their future and how vital it is for them not to make permanent decisions based on short-term conditions.

rsity: To volunteer Returning to my school, and helping out with winter extra classes put a knot on the fact that being at university inspired those I left behind. I was initially there to help with office work, and distributing attendance registers, however, I found myself offering “university” and career advice to learners.

Of course there were rock throwers as some people suggested I was wasting my time working at 7 am instead of me enjoying my holidays. That is why volunteering requires heartfelt enthusiasm and motivation, or else it won’t work out, you might give in to the rock throwers.

Yet the most important thing was giving back unconditionally and gaining some knowledge other than my own box of agriculture and writing. Witnessing smiles and joy in those you help without any form of gain is the best feeling and only a few get to know the feeling.

I highly recommend volunteering and giving back. If I did not try it, I would have never known the feeling.

Masiziba Hadebe

Masiziba at 2nd semest A few days in second semester and a lot has changed.

Some students have left while others have changed direction by transferring to other courses.

In addition, the second semester is short (about 3 months of lectures) and is claimed to be difficult by senior students. They blame end year events along with tight academic schedules.

However, top students state that staying true to yourself is a known secret to surviving in university especially in this second semester.

Staying true to yourself actually means attaching your identity to your studies and remembering why you are at university. It is difficult to actually choose to avoid temptations, and it is more challenging in the second semester. In fact, the first semester is usually much longer, as some would mention that it gives you the last few seconds to change your year.

This translates to a second chance (if you can use it).

Conversely, the second semester is completely dif-

t University: ter arrived! ferent as the academic load strengthens and the time period decreases.

On the other hand, as believed by some, it is about overcoming all your challenges and typically being a ‘student’.

A transition that not many first years get the first time as senior students title first years to be the ones to expect flames since they tend to enjoy independence, particularly those who study far from home.

Nevertheless, I have definitely witnessed that the second semester is different from the first semester due to my academic schedule and all the changes around me, but I will have to see whether the assumptions are to be true. But positively, I know that I have to use the known secret to make it through; which I firmly believe I will use to survive this semester!

Masiziba Hadebe.

Friends and University Believe it or not, University is a great place to network. As I speak now, I know people who are as dedicated and passionate as I, and they have seemed to inspire me in many more ways than I had ever imagined.

One of my new ‘university’ friends is in Russia studying Medicine, and has promised me to take me out to lunch when qualifying as a doctor.

Although she was at the same university as I, she grabbed an opportunity to study abroad. In the few months we shared, we were able to build a long-lasting friendship with a LOT of memories. We share pictures via email and I know a lot more about the world because of her.

In addition, I met people who understand my language and the need to make a difference, and not only that, they keep me on my toes by proving that this ‘university’ journey can be enjoyable.

My university friends are the ones I seem to grow with and make more mistakes with and creating the best memories with.

It is not about them studying the same thing I am studying but me beneficially being friends with them because of their personality, dreams and aspirations that influence me and them positively.

Maybe because we are all driven and determined to succeed?

Masiziba Hadebe

Sporty and also a student!

3RD year Bachelor of Education (BEd) UFS student, Gertriana Retief is a sports star who is succeeding in netball while being a student— the essence of multi-tasking!

In the recent 2017 Netball Youth World Cup, Retief represented the SA baby Proteas in Botswana. Retief terms the experience as “great” and seems to have enjoyed the game and believes to have learnt a lot.

Her training hours are 5 days a week, stretched to 12-14 hours over five days depending on the tournaments, etc. She claims to incorporate her study time very well in her tight schedule.

With a height of 1.89 m, Retief plays Goal Shooter and remembers the fondest memories of her and her sister playing on opposing teams and indispensably believes it was one of the best experiences ever.

Retief regards her mother as her role model. “She is a strong independent woman with great ambition and strength” she exclaims.

Other sporting role models include Maryka Holstzhousen, also a netball player.

One day she would love to play for Spar Proteas. She has already represented the Free State Crinums (2016, 2017) and SA in Botswana at the (NWYC) Junior Youth World Cup. Retief‘s friends and family describe her as neat and a “go getter”.

Besides netball, she loves Rugby and Athletics and her favourite food is Braai vleis, Sushi and Pizza. She positions her life as ‘doable’.

Masiziba Hadebe

Women in ‘male’ jo According to SHE Leads Africa organisation, a passion project is something you do on your own terms and for nobody else’s satisfaction. It stems from your desire to create. This is what two phenomenal women,Teboho Mofokeng and Prianka Payadachee are doing through engineering.

Teboho Mofokeng is a civil engineer who specializes in waste water management and graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) IN 2006.

In an interview with Infrastructure News, Mofokeng mentions that a female engineer’s technical capability is often taken too lightly. Said Mofokeng “But at the end of the day, the moment people realise that you can contribute and add value to their Teboho Mofokeng project, it doesn’t really matter whether you are female or male – gender ceases to be of relevance”.

Mofokeng echoes the sentiments that although she has witnessed an increase in the number of female civil engineers and graduates, there is still very little participation from women in middle management. However, she believes that women who enter this field should know that being multi-skilled is essential whilst it is important to develop personal areas of strength within the field.

(Destiny Magazine, August 2017)

obs? still an issue?

Accordingly, Prianka Padayachee, a qualified mining engineer who is a highly ambitious engineer believes that female representation in mining has improved but being an Indian female in this industry does turn a few heads.

Padayachee initially planned to be a geologist, but during a site visit to one of the mines, she knew she belonged Prianka Padayachee there. Besides, Mining does not fall far from a geologist’s tree, so it was a perfect fit for her.

In an article in Destiny Magazine, Padayachee mentions that her first experience as an engineer was not all what she expected.

She believes that University prepares you only to be a mine manager, but when you get into the field and start working, you have to do a lot of grunt work and easily spend up to ten hours underground.

However, she does remark that these experiences are vital as they allow one to understand the mine and later manage it well.

These two phenomenal engineers are also planning to further their studies and are currently working for big-role players in key roles within mining and engineering and proving that woman can also “build the world”.

Masiziba Hadebe.

The school un The debate is there yet again: school uniform or not. We asked Masiziba about how she feels ‘out of uniform’ at varsity: In the last year or so, I did a series of articles about whether there should be school uniform or not. In that instance, I was a school learner with uniform but now I am a student and living without uniform. Nonetheless, what has been the impact of no uniform on student life?

Firstly, the first two weeks during orientation week, all first years from my residence and other residences wore shirts representing their residence. We became close as first years and there was no discrimination at first sight because it was mandatory for us to be equal through “uniform” clothing.

This proved beneficial especially since we were all strangers and some friendships were made.

University made me realise that as much as uniform can be popularly associated with schools, it can stretch to ‘after-school’ life.

For example, during promotional days, companies offer their employees a dress code that will prove that they are from the same brand—and that is uniform. However, in varsity and professional life, uniform is only applicable to specific occasions as compared to all year round in schools.

niform, again!

The duration of no uniform in university does influence individuality. Varsity is where you can witness purple hair, long nails and even extraordinary shoes. Everyone gets to be themselves in a way unimaginable.

Individuality on the other hand can encourage discrimination. It is a fact that we are all from different and diverse backgrounds and what we could consider “appropriate “ may infringe on other people’s rights and by articulating those views, it can be discriminating to the other person.

Although “a lack of uniform” cannot largely lead to bullying as in the case of High school or primary school, it is probably more associated with low self-esteem and some students may feel less because of what other students are probably wearing (which could be expensive). But there are various services that students can make use of if they face discrimination or are in need of support.

In addition to this, some students miss class because they feel they don’t have enough clothes and they cannot keep on wearing the same clothes as people will notice; and believe uniform would have served them right.

Personally, I do miss my beautiful uniform, but I am glad that I can still stand out and feel a sense of individuality in University.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Masiziba at University:

Imagine witnessing CEO’s, Honour students and lecturers giving you the key to serving the world. . That is what university has offered besides academic knowledge.

Practical sessions and learning experiences have been the best moments of my life. In fact, I would never have received this prodigious exposure if I were still at home.

My university schedules times for first years where CEO’s, top researchers and doctrine holders come and inform us about their experiences and how university is an opportunity to fulfil greatness and serve a purpose.

In an economics learning experience, presented by a well-renowned Economist, Nthabiseng Moleko, I learnt a lot of things in an hour that have changed my whole entire life. There I understood the importance of education and the role that young people should play in counteracting all the global issues.

I have always wanted to be a researcher within the dynamic

My learning experience agricultural sector. Hence Agricultural Economics. However, I have never understood what impact finding a solution through research is to the whole universe. It is a fact that there have been a lot of changes, and the world we live in does not allow anyone to merely move with the wind. University allows and encourages original thoughts and experiments that may counteract global and continental issues.

I was glad to hear that the primary sector in which agriculture is part, has an important role to encourage job-efficient economic growth. This sector can, when properly developed, absorb a large portion of the population and make them contributors to the economy.

In addition, the statistics used in these learning experiences prove how immense the need for education is, coherently for the revival of people’s lives throughout the world. However, these statistics are not vividly accessible on the internet. This proves that institutions such as a university offer people the knowledge in a technological world and gives them the ability to be educated which translates to them never stopping to learn.

For instance, one of my lecturers mentioned that Google is now a big competitor to graduates since anyone can Google, but what is important is the ability to make a difference and not “programmed” difference with no logical explanation behind it. Furthermore, fake news have been more proof that with accessible technology, we still need to be educated.

All this information would not have been available to me if I never transcended to university life.

Masiziba Hadebe

Translating servic Translatin According to reports, using Google translate or iTranslate can turn out to be embarrassing, especially around native speaking people of that specific language, and it is not recommended for assignments or any duties that may ruin one’s reputation.

In fact, the growing demand for translating services is no longer limited to and from English but spread on a variety of languages. For instance, the European Union’s bureaucrats now have to communicate in 24 languages. Furthermore, due to globalisation, companies trading in Africa regard the continent’s languages as progressively more important. And, well, the tourism industry makes use of translating services.

It is clear that the need for translating services is increasing; but what could be the difference between traditional translating services and automated translating services?

The debate of technological involvement in translating services evolves around the fact that there are over 6,909 languages in the world in which humans are constantly speaking. Context is changing, along with human creativity and interactions.

But with hundreds of translating apps and “embarrassing moments”, traditional translators and pioneers in translation memory programming are claiming their importance in the industry.

“Learning a language is extremely rewarding and very

ces VS Automated ng services much accessible to everybody regardless of age and wealth. Despite the great advances in technology we’ve made, the universal translator (and even a fully functional single language translator) will remain science fiction for a very long time.” States Benny Lewis, Founder of Fluent in 3 Months.

According to Lewis, traditional translating services can be competitive against technology. London Translations also echo similar sentiments by testifying that a good interpreter has to have an in-depth, up-to-date understanding of a language’s quirks, nuances and colloquiums as well as how their speakers conduct business.

However, technological services offer mishaps such as “Russians” being translated to “occupiers” which in the case of human translators it would have been common sense that it is a nationality.

Moreover, the tone and register is also mentioned as a disadvantage of automated translating services. Romantic or friendly connotations may not be inferred in the way they should be, especially along with the feelings.

Translation services On the other hand, Stepes, an online translating service or app, claims to be standing out of the pack. It claims to be the only app that connects over 100 000 human translators around the world in more than 100 tongues to clients in need of translating services.

Stepes is powered by TermWiki.com, a multilingual terminology platform in which human translators all over the world participate in translating across six continents. These translators are set locally, for example if you become a tourist in South Africa, you set the location, state for how long you may need a translator and then you are charged per minute and allocated a South African translator.

Stepes suggests that the platforms they offer cater for human translators in a technological world, creating friendships similar to those formed with tour guides, in addition to learning about different foods, cultures of these various countries.

In South Africa, there are a few traditional translating services such as Wits Language School, translating 11 official languages of South Africa, including South African sign language (which varies from country to country).

According to the South African Translators’ Institute (SATI), even though the translating profession in South Africa is not presently regulated and anyone is free to work as a translator or interpreter, being a good language practitioner involves training – whether formal or informal – and a commitment to giving a client a flawless product. Because that is important.

Masiziba Hadebe.

University: first ye Most matriculates are anticipating university life while some fears are lurking. Fears of fitting in, adapting to independency and whether the course of study will work out.

But after sharing my journey for this my first year, I really understand how this change can be confusing in the beginning. It is after all a place where you are most likely to meet people with differing opinions other than your own. Moreover, you suddenly realise that although attending class is optional, not going can prove detrimental to your academic career and the excitement of “going to class whenever I want” is suddenly a sell-out. In addition, the university population is nowhere close to what you expected. This is where you realise that not everyone will like you, not everyone will be your friend, but how you react to that is simply up to you.

In the middle of the journey (like during your first tests) it suddenly gets messy. You realise that the lecturer does not know your name, and you have to wake yourself up for a test.

However, the journey at the end or approaching the end is beautiful. You get to experience the core of university life. This is finding friends that are as determined as you. They inspire you, and you see the growth within yourself. What’s more fun is that you get to attend events with these friends and they seem to be your lifetime connections. Furthermore, you begin to appreciate

ear already gone! and acknowledge university structures such as learning experiences because there the key to world-class success is given. Likewise, inspiration then strikes for you to do the best you can in the big place called university.

Conversely, there will be emotional times where you miss home especially if you stay afar. There will be times where you feel like giving up because of test results that hinder you expectations. There will also be times where you doubt whether you will make it to the following year but regardless of these times, this journey can be enjoyable. You grow as a person, you smile, work and learn more.

Of course, my journey will be different from anyone else’s, but the common thread is that we must not give up, be it in the beginning, middle or approaching the end, and more importantly, we should enjoy the journey and stand for what we believe in, which is simply acquiring that degree, diploma or certificate for a better future.

Masiziba Hadebe

Food security: Ano How do we feed 8.3 Billion by 2050? That is the famous question associated with food security regardless of the fact that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 focusing on food security is hoping to achieve its mandate by 2030.

During a TED talk by Sara Menker, founder of Gro-intelligence, a company focusing on reforming agricultural systems leveraging data to encourage food security, requested that a new question be asked because according to their findings, food insecurity will be at its highest peak by 2027 which is a decade from now and not by 2050.

Furthermore, Menker mentions that solutions such as changing consumption systems and reducing food wastage have been discussed in almost every food security conference, podcast and dialogue. However, it has been focused on continents such as North America, South America, and Europe which are estimated to be food self-sufficient by 2027 based on factors such as population growth and economic growth. In addition, expecting these food self-sufficient areas to change the behaviour for the deficit areas has not been successful.

That said, Gro intelligence has focused on calories as that is what sustain us, and the food security problem has been quantified using mass and calories. Through their new perspective (using calories to quantify food security), they have discovered

other perspective that the world is short of 214 trillion calories (equivalent to 379 billion Big Macs) aligning the solution to be with the estimated food deficient areas such as India, China and Africa.

The solution was that these areas should improve yields. Although India is faced with land constraints, they do have an upside to improving yields. China, on the other hand, is challenged with scarce water resources and space constraints but Africa has sufficient arable land consisting of an upside potential to increase yields.

However, sub-Saharan Africa currently produces maize equivalent to North America in 1940. These improved yields must come from the commercialization of agricultural systems especially in Africa to close the gap of calories needed by 2027.

Conversely, The UN Sustainable Development goal (SDG) 2, food security aims to, by 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, specifically the poor and people in vulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

In addition, to end all forms of malnutrition. By 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under five years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons

Food Security Moreover, by 2030 double the agricultural productivity and the incomes of small-scale food producers, particularly women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets, and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.

This will ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production.

This in turn help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.

Then by 2020 preserve genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including thorough soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at national, regional and international levels.

It has to certify access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge as internationally agreed.

So how do we make all this actionable? My upcoming articles hope to focus on that.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Second year is in the wait!

With the free education announcement for some students, University is bound to be more exhilarating and it will be my second year. But what am I really looking forward to this year?

Firstly, the library. Our school library is sophisticated and has all the books one could be in the mood for.

Books enhance someone’s knowledge and once you read with comprehension it becomes easier to understand the world and yourself. Biographies and non-fiction books assist in helping to discover oneself, what you may want to do and why.

The fiction books, be it sci-fi or romance, enhance your creativity as a millennial.

But the reason why I am really going to university is to be a specialist in my field. I am looking forward to learning more about my course of study, and the contribution I might make once I go into research.

Stepping into a lecture room will ignite my passion and give me a head start. Moreover, I have a chance to meeting new great people even though it’s my second year.

Additionally, I cannot wait to do more work in the student societies I have joined. Student societies offer wellbeing to a student. Some people describe them as the friends you want to have.

They are organisations aligned to a student’s interest whether religious, political or general. Therefore it becomes a platform where you express yourself and justify your beliefs or values without receiving marks after participation.

What is more interesting is that should you wish to have your own society, you can start it through certain procedures.

Finally, I cannot wait to be with my friends and reunite with them in the new season. Second year and ticking!

Masiziba Hadebe

Socio

Some underestimate Sociology as a course of study because it are the benefits of studying Sociology as a major or sub-majo

Firstly, it is important to distinct Sociology from other studies cluding patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and develop.

Societal challenges like drug and alcohol abuse, child-headed ers are cases that sociologists analyse and give reason to. The work on. It can stretch over to patterns concerning prison life in prison when they get back to society, and what impact that omy of a region.

Thus, sociologists have to be characterised by heart and passio sociologist. Moreover, it is important to have self-awareness s Most sociologists work in research organizations, colleges and educators, lawmakers, administrators, and social workers use public policy. Therefore Sociology becomes vital in public sect relations amongst many others.

Additionally, many people who take Sociology as a sub-major work in related jobs outside the sociologist profession as surv phers. But generally sociologists work as case managers, huma and alcohol counsellors and social workers.

Masiziba

ology

t is considered difficult and is about human beings. But what or when you eventually get to college or university?

s and define it. Sociology is the scientific study of society, ind culture. This study produces data on processes that people

households, unemployment and abuse amongst many othey develop a bases on which government departments can e and what could happen to individuals who were previously t result has on the overall structures of society like the econ-

on to assist people. Patience is also core to succeeding as a so as to assist the people involved. d universities, and consulting service firms. Interestingly, sociological research to solve social problems and formulate tors such as health, crime, education and racial and ethnic

r can become professors and teachers, while others can find vey researchers, statisticians, policy analysts, and demograan services, educators, college instructors in Sociology, drug

a Hadebe

ASTRONOMY AND Mars is the closest friend to planet Earth in terms of its composition. Although it is only about half as big as the earth, it has been claimed to have an atmosphere that could support life like the earth. In fact, Hola has had a few articles about settling in Mars and the possibility of 200 people per trip experiencing their life in the red planet with their children!

However, where there is human life, food is ought to be there as a medium of survival regardless of the planet (in this case).

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Household food security is the application of this concept to the family level, with individuals within households as the focus of concern.”

This flexible definition of food security should also apply to people who are already willing to settle in Mars. But let us explore some of the options the Mars colony has in order to have food on plate.

In an article published by the Atlantic, “Menu for Mars,” is an art exhibition and culinary experiment created by two New York artists to explore the future of food on

D FOOD SECURITY the Red Planet. Heidi Neilson, one of the organizers of the art exhibition, says they are experimenting on how their food might adapt in Mars.

The organisers of the exhibition ran the Menu for Mars Supper Club, where they met with chefs, gardeners, scientists, culinary anthropologists, and nutritionists to learn what future Mars colonists might be able to grow, cook, and eat.

The experiment took place in a kitchen stocked inside a bubble with dried and powdered ingredients and filled the greenhouse with hardy plants, and invited guest chefs to try and prepare a meal for the red planet.

Moreover, NASA has been researching ways of cultivating vegetables in space. In fact, astronauts have sampled the first plant grown in space: a dark-red romaine lettuce named “Outredgeous.” They cleaned the leaves with non-toxic wipes before eating them.

ASTRONOMY AND FOOD SECURITY Vegetarians have some sort of Idea of where their food might be coming from.

It is vague about whether animals such as cows, chickens or sheep etc. will also join

the Mars colony especially when considering that the trip is also centred on saving the human race.

However, some believe that the trip to Mars might improve life on Earth. This is because of possibilities of technology being developed in Mars that will assist in the development of Medicine and Agriculture which both pose huge challenges to human life.

It is indistinct whether the Mars colonists will enjoy their food preferences according to the food security definition specifically those who are not vegetarians or whether we will still be experiencing food insecurity on another planet.

Masiziba Hadebe

Biofortification

We are often told that we need to eat diversified foods so as to increase nutrient content. However, people from low income households all around the world do not frequently get the opportunity to ‘diversify’ their daily meals. This leads to global challenges such as malnutrition which continues to threaten food security.

Biofortification is the concept of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value.

There are various methods of breeding such as conventional selective breeding and genetic engineering. This process aims to make plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing, rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processed (fortification).

“We n to ha nutrit foo

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), fortification refers to “the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food irrespective of whether the nutrients were originally in the food before processing or not, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and to provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.

Although there is a distinct difference between biofortification and fortification, both processes assist in regions where the staple foods lack particular nutrients due to the soil of the region or from inherent inadequacy of a normal diet.

But what is the relation between biofortification and food security?

in food security

Food security is centralised around the fact that all people need to have access to nutritious food at all times. Yes, biofortification enhances access to nutritious food, but does biofortification allow the crops to be grown timeously? Let us explore.

According to reports, to successfully scale up biofortification programs, assistance will be required from a sustained commitment of three key elements: supply, policies, and demand.

need ave tious od!”

First, agricultural research entities, as well as public and private actors, need to ensure an adequate global supply of relevant and high-yielding seeds.

Second, appropriate policies to support biofortification programs that improve public health and provide high economic returns need to be developed and implemented nationally and globally.

Third, efforts need to be made that ensure that rural and urban populations value, and demand, high mineral and vitamin content in their staple foods. Moreover, GM crops must undergo rigorous risk assessment in today’s regulatory environment which hinders the accessibility of the crops in regions with strict regulations.

Additionally, adverse effects on the soil or plants may critically compromise the ‘sustainability’ of biofortified crop strategies, which may deter the crops from being accessible at all times.

Therefore it becomes questionable whether biofortified foods will easily be accessible at all times due to all the reasons stated above. However, it still has provided ways of enabling access to nutritious food. Hence, contributing to food security.

Masiziba Hadebe

Learning and Social life in university.

The notion of ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ is a debated concept as university consists of diverse people who engage and learn for specific interests. Interestingly, this educated space allows indirect learning through debate of such notions.

“I also hard w have fu

Research has shown that students who actually put in the work succeed regardless of their talent, IQ and EQ. Therefore as a second year now having been through the experience of a first year, I sense that all these words such as talent, IQ, and EQ do not determine university success fully, although they have been proven to have an effect, but the willingness to put in the work matters the most.

‘Work hard’ is described and defined differently by students, for instance, some define it as working productively which suggests that a student is sure of the work, hence understands the work after labour (often they do not consider the labour hours). However, others measure hard work in terms of the labour hours initiated and then decide “I deserve a break”. This is inconsiderate of the study method which influences whether the learning is effective or not.

“Play Hard” on the other hand, is defined as fun, whether it is movies, social media, games etc. This could be worrying for parents who may stalk their children on social media as they would prefer to see their children studying instead of having fun.

What I have realised is that ‘Work Hard, Play Hard’ is more influenced by choice and peers. It is very risky to decide to watch a movie the day before a test, and tell yourself that you have done the work, without revising. Additionally, to consider a friend who claims that “you can study later” and tempts you to go out on days close to a test is also risky especially if you have not put in the work.

work when I un”

University allows us to grow a thick skin, to say no and yes, to listen to instinct and to make the right choices on our own. It is therefore good to question, and investigate and take thorough thought into these clichés particularly if you get the opportunity to be given university entrance, which simple translates to independent responsibility.

Masiziba Hadebe

Food Secu Food security is not only centralized around the food we obtain from planting and sowing seeds amongst many other methods, but how we keep our animals. A feedlot is a type of animal feeding operation (AFO) which is used in intensive animal farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle.

The main aim of a feedlot is to increase the amount of meat each animal produces as quickly as possible, hence allowing higher quantities of meat, particularly beef in South Africa, to be produced. This does contribute to food security as higher quantities of meat are produced in a shorter period of time compared to conventional methods such as pasture grazing where animals are left to range freely in the veld or pasture.

Good quality meat has the potential of reducing food insecurity and poverty. However, this would require making sure it is evenly distributed across the world. This can be challenging as beef is considered expensive for the poor and poor infrastructure and storage facilities and/or technologies in some countries are not available. Moreover, the health benefits thereof are also controversially discussed and investigated frequently worldwide.

In addition, animal welfare parties have criticized feedlot operations. They

urity - The animal feedlot claim that cattle are ruminants, wherefore they are suited to eating grass, not grain. Consequently, they believe that cattle may have issues such as bloating, diarrhea and digestive discomfort. Additionally, they claim that there should be concerns with water contamination from feedlot runoff amongst many other issues. Such other issues are many intensive livestock operations releasing odorous gases from stored or land-applied manure. We are talking about Methane gasses.

On the other hand, adversaries claim that all these challenges could be overcome with good management, and therefore the benefits of running a feedlot operation should not be overlooked. Moreover, a beef feedlot stands out as a good option in beef cattle farming, because when the adequate management techniques are applied and investments are made at the right time, this rearing system becomes economically viable.

All of this said, for systems such as beef feedlots to be viable and to be considered as major contributors to food security, more research needs to be conducted. Likewise, infrastructure and storage technology needs to be constantly improved and made accessible.

Masiziba Hadebe.

What you learn from grou By: Masizib

In university, you rarely receive a chance to choose who your members are for a for a group assignment. This is because of a random system that is used to select group members for a certain assignment mainly because the class is large compared to a classroom in school. Thus, you find yourself working with people you are unfamiliar with.

However, this can be a good and bad situation. The marks obtained, just like in school, are for every group member, but in this case, the lecturer can open something we call “work percentage” for each group. This means group members can give each other an allocation of how much each member contributed to the total work, and thereafter, the lecturer decides on the penalties for those who were not making the required contribution. This does differ from university to university.

Some group members use the opportunity to give the work to other members and only pitch up a few days before submission.

In this way, it seems like the person was making a contribution.

However, this has adverse consequences. For instance, let’s say

up assignments in varsity ba Hadebe the group assignment was to observe the growth of spinach under certain environmental conditions, and this required daily recordings of observations, and only a few people in the group did that. Additionally, those people who are making the required contribution are so kind-hearted that they do not visit the lecturer about the incompetence of the other members.

Then the lecturer introduces a practical test. This is a test about the nitty-gritties of the group assignment. However, the difference is that it is an individual test. This is where the system filters the ones who were not working or the ones who were not paying attention.

On the other hand, if group work is successful, you really learn a lot about yourself and working with others. You also learn why competition can enhance growth and you meet new people and in some cases make new friends.

To conclude, group work requires you to play your part, and as much as it is about all the group members, you need to do your part. Never put group assignments on hold because you feel no-one else is making an effort. Do the work.

High Density Planting of fruit crops in food security Crop concepts such as ‘high density planting’ can contribute to food security. High density planting means to increase the plant population (number of plants) per unit area. Hence, increasing the production of fruit crops.

This then encourages better use of land and resources which results in increased yields and better quality production of fruit crops. However, there has been a correlation of high density planting with the life span of the fruit; high density planted fruit crops bare fruits with a less life span.

Additionally, high density planting makes it difficult to manage the tree canopy and requires high techniques for maintaining fruit trees.

High density planting has a great potential to ensure access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. In order for it to reach full potential and make a significant contribution to food security, factors such as quality education and enhanced research needs to be implemented.

This will ensure that managers of tree canopies can be equipped with skills that will allow them to execute high techniques that will not only maintain the fruit trees but ensure good production of fruit.

Additionally, the life span of a fruit is crucial in some cases, because it not only plays a role in the marketing of the fruit,

but the logistics thereof. Logistics includes the transportation and storage of the fruit which are both influenced by the infrastructure of the area in which the fruit trees are planted in.

Therefore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) career related fields are more important in this regard as they encourage solutions to such challenges. These career fields are additionally required to study the impact of high density planting on various situations. For instance, Soil Scientists can study the effect of high density planting on the soil and make recommendations.

Moreover, STEM fields such as Computer Science and Information Technology can influence the accessibility of information to the relevant parties through the development of programs in order to make high density planting efficient. This is because not much information is easily available to farmers or consultants in order for them to efficiently implement high density planting. Funders such as bank institutions should also have access to such information in order for them to support business ventures related to high density planting.

On the other hand, environmentalists may claim that high density planting is not necessarily good to the environment due to the impact it may have on the soil etc. but with the increasing population, high density planting has the potential to make a significant contribution to food security, if only education and research (especially in STEM related fields) can be improved and information is readily available and accessible to relevant parties.

Masiziba Hadebe

UNIVERSITY AND DIVERSITY In one of my previous articles, I had briefly mentioned that university is a place that erupts with diversity. Diversity is a broad definition that differs from one person to another. Some may define it as the interaction of different people who have different ethnicities, while others may include religion, culture, and sexuality and in some cases, economic background.

In terms of economic background and the opinions I have heard, it seems economic background makes it difficult to embrace diversity especially in university.

This is because of students who may be transitioning from poor rural areas to city when coming to university and students who are well off, and when coming to university, may be concerned more about freedom and independence compared to finances. Hence, making new and diverse friends in a world like university can be quite a task, mainly because of the decisions or assumptions made regarding diversity.

For instance, people who are “not so well off” may find it difficult to make friends with people “who are well off”. This is due to the assumption that these lifestyles do not match, and this can be assumed by either side.

Additionally, our different cultures shape the way we think about various issues. This may be how we feel about gender roles, and other certain beliefs we hold on to that other people may find offensive. In university, this can lead to clashes as there is a constant interaction of diverse people.

Regardless of this, I have learnt that diversity need not bring clashes, but instead it should bring willingness to learn about one another. Yes this may be difficult and overwhelming but as soon as you share a room or commune with different people from you, you are taking the first step to learning how to embrace diversity.

Interestingly, there are advantages to embracing diversity. For example, you become open-minded, where you learn to think about how other people may feel about your opinion and take that into consideration. Then you can use that ability for the rest of your life either in the workplace or when conducting research etc. but all of this starts at university.

Diversity, I believe, should be approached like a lecture class for a specific module. One needs to listen and learn new things and note down all the important things for a duration of time, and instead of assuming, take calculated assumptions based on what you have observed and learnt.

Moreover, it is very important to note that embracing diversity is a learning process, so it should not be merely based on one person whom you have met maybe for one day, but learn about the person every day before making assumptions.

Masiziba Hadebe

“In university, you can fail before writing your semester examinations” is a popular expression used by many senior students when describing the challenging part of university to first years. This is due to a mark, termed as ‘predicate’, that a student needs to obtain in order to participate in a semester examination for a specific module, and it differs from each university in accordance to their policies.

Interestingly, there is a day or week (depending on the university) that will be dedicated to the release of the predicate of each module. This is usually towards the end of a semester. During this week or day, preliminary predicates can be released by the specific facilitators of each module.

“In univer you can fa fore writi semester inations”

It is then the responsibility of each student enrolled to check whether all the required marks and/or percentages are correct and accurate or else the predicate will not be accurate.

This has to be the responsibility of the student because in university, numerous people are registered and enrolled for a module, therefore error during the capturing of data is likely possible and tracing error can be difficult.

However, a student cannot go to the module facilitators and mere-

ly claim that a predicate is incorrect. A student claiming an error in the predicate is required to have proof.

This proof is the actual test and/or assignment paper attributed with a student number and an allocated mark. If it was an online test or assignment, it is important for the student to provide a screenshot or PDF file to show that it is definitely the correct mark.

Therefore it becomes very important for every student to safely keep hardcopy tests and assignments after feedback and when completing online assignments and tests, to take a screenshot of the submission and completion. However, with online assignments and tests, error is less likely to happen as the programmes (software packages) that are usually used are rated efficient and accurate compared to the capturing of hardcopy marks.

On the other hand, predicate day or week to some students stimulates emotions and anxiety because it could happen that the students have not accumulated the required predicate.

rsity, ail being your r exam”

This will then translate to a fail and to some, an extra year of study depending on whether the module is a pre-requisite or major.

Use of academic advising at the university can clarify this challenge in detail and in accordance to the rules of the faculty and university. Students who find themselves in this situation can make use of counselling services and other support systems offered by the university.

Predicate Day Additionally, predicate day or week to some students does not mean to merely qualify for the examination but it also confirms whether they have promoted a specific module or not.

A student is only permitted to promote a module if a predicate mark of 70% or 75% and more is obtained depending on the requirements of the specific module and the university.

Thereafter a student is exempted in writing the examination of the module and the predicate mark is used as the final mark.

However, it is important for a student to note whether a module is considered a promotion module or not because not all modules are promotable

Masiziba Hadebe.

Level of difficulty at university increases as the academic year increases.

Second year has been nothing short of what I term a “level up”.

This year, particularly the first semester, I had to find my way around academics.

I had to adapt to the requirements of the second academic year.

The exam set up and the questions challenged me to think and apply more of what I was learning and being taught. I had to analyse, understand and grasp even

more quantities of information that I had to convert to my knowledge.

This is because of the National Qualifications framework (NQF) level which is used in South Africa to arrange learning levels that one can attain after successful completion. The further one increases their level of study (as you move from one grade to another) the NQF level increases.

The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has been using this framework since the NFQ Act, No 67 of 2008. There are 10 levels of learning achievement, and every registered South African qualification needs to specify its NQF level – basically, what it will teach the student and enable him or her to do in terms of acquired skills.

The NQF focuses on a list of ‘applied competencies,’ so each NQF level signifies a specific standard of intellectual and academic skills, including problem-solving abilities and learner autonomy. So, the higher the NQF level of your qualification, the more intellectually skilled you are (at least within this specific academic measure).

Hence, it is important to understand where you are and where you want to be, because there are specific requirements that one has to meet in order to be accepted into a higher institution of their choice and NQF level required. Research is important, ask teachers, email university representatives and call.

Masiziba Hadebe.

s a W ’t

! e t

n o D

Food outlets in food security It is often satisfying to order a plate of food in a food outlet, whether in a township or island somewhere, however, there is a number of diverse challenges faced by various restaurant owners especially considering whether they are contributing to food security or not.

Firstly, it has to be known how much leftovers are left per week (on average) and what happens to those left-overs. There are different types of leftovers: There are the raw ingredients that go uncooked (usually the result of purchasing an excess of ingredients); there are the individual components of dishes, like sauces, mise en place, etc., which are cooked but go unserved; and there are the uneaten leftovers or table scraps from a customer’s plate.

Additionally, the options available for food outlets to distribute leftovers should be readily available and in a way accessible to

them. For instance, the obvious one is distributing leftovers to soup kitchens.

However, soup kitchens will have to be initiated and sustained by other stakeholders who will provide numbers of the beneficiaries. In addition, since some restaurant owners are sceptical about distributing leftovers to soup kitchens (assuming that beneficiaries might get sick), have to be protected by policies. However, conversely, opponents (welfare organisations), may suggest that it will open doors for malice behaviour such as deliberate poisoning etc.

Interestingly, Christo and Suzette are the first South African restaurant owners to implement a zero waste system, another option available to restaurant owners. They use an industrial composting machine from Green Genie to convert all their raw and cooked organic waste (leftovers) into compost in what Suzette describes as a very clean process.

This compost then goes back into the earth to provide the nutrients in the soil where their next batch of vegetables will be grown. This system may also provide additional revenue instead of philanthropic actions such as a soup kitchen unless the compost is distributed freely to charity organisations that may use the compost beneficially.

Moreover, Co-Founders Tessa Cook and Saasha Celestial wanted to create a marketplace where users could interact and exchange unwanted, yet perfectly edible food (leftovers). Bakeries, retailers and neighbours can quickly and easily post items available for collection.

Any surplus food, either wet or dry is welcome. It is also an excellent resource for schools, care homes and other institutions to take in what others do not need.

Wasting food - w Another option is the App OLIO, which aims to connect people to distribute their leftovers adequately, and restaurants can use it too. The golden rule of OLIO is for the restaurant owner to ask him or herself: is this food that I am willing to eat? If the answer is yes, then it is welcome in the marketplace. Items such as fresh vegetables, dry goods like beans or rice, cooked meal leftovers, leftover cake or even raw ingredients that are nearing their sell by date, but will still be good for a few days.

The perfect time for restaurants to use OLIO is after hosting big events or celebratory events if restaurants host such.

Additionally if there is a planned electricity outage in the area and the fresh food is not wanted to go to waste, it can be conveniently used. Research should be done whether or not the app supports the area(s) the business is in.

Belinda Lombard, owner of a restaurant franchise explained that using the WasteStation (another option) was simple. “Leftover kitchen food waste [excluding oil and meats] is thrown into the WasteStation, and within seconds is macerated into a fine consistency,” she said. Lombard claims that the restaurant managed to reduce 350 litres of food waste to 50 litres in 40 minutes. The WasteStation is capable of handling up to 700kg of food waste per hour.

The macerated food is then drained of excess water, stored in an airtight container and treated with bokashi bran – a product made using bran that has been infused with micro-organisms that assist in fermenting food. This is left to ferment before it is transformed into a rich compost which is used on the restaurant’s

wasting resources vegetable garden.

Bronwyn Jones, owner of Bokashi Bran, the company that produces the product, explained that the benefits of using bokashi bran with macerated food waste is that the waste did not rot and, therefore, did not smell, ensuring that no flies were attracted. This according to Jones, was one of the main reasons Mugg & Bean, Lonehill and her other customers used the Bokashi Bran system bins. The idea that waste collection costs will be reduced by using the system is based on the fact that food waste treated with bokashi does not rot and smell and, therefore, does not have to be collected on a daily basis as is required by law for any establishment selling food to the public.

The system has also been approved by the Joburg Environmental Health Department for use in commercial kitchens. Townsend, general manager of Tinswalo Property Group which manages the Lonehill Shopping Centre said, in the long run, the WasteStation system would drastically reduce the centre’s food waste, however, she was not able to confirm how much this would reduce their refuse removal costs.

With all these available options available for food outlets, it is important for each restaurant owner to identify their own preferred method. However, it is visible that leftovers have the potential to be put to good use and contribute to food security.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Are you stressed?

It is often glamourizing to be an academic. In fact, your introductions come easier because you will refer to yourself as a “second year” or “final year” student. However, it unfortunately does not come easy to some of us. And it does require a lot of perseverance and persistence which includes overcoming high levels of stress and working under extreme pressure.

To put it into context, university can have only six months (semester) to cover a certain amount of work regarding a specific field of study. Additionally, as a student, one has to maintain a social life; one that continues to’ diversify itself through popular social media platforms. Moreover, one may want to participate in other extra-curricular activities that may be of interest, whether it is sport or student societies. These activities do also need their own fair amount of effort and work.

Any student who may be able to balance all these activities without experiencing a peak in their stress level is extremely lucky and able.

For sport persons who are in academics, stress levels may be induced by time management goals. For instance, a sport season may come and it can stretch up to the whole month. And one cannot catch up with academics. It can be challenging to regain stability in terms of academics. Right there, levels of stress may then peak.

For other students, it may lie in the fact that they have no access to resources that can enable them to complete their daily tasks. This can include resources such as food, books or transport fees etc. This may increase stress levels and anxiety.

Fortunately, one can overcome these unfavourable circumstances. It is possible. We all have to.

For those who did, numerous lessons were learnt. These include great time management skills. People who succeed at university, have remarkable time management skills.

This is because they now know where exactly the door to the room of improvement is and it becomes easier for them to open that door. Additionally, they develop another remarkable skill of working under extreme pressure which allows them to thrive in unfavourable circumstances leading to them successfully completing their tasks.

The mantra is: focus on what is important, not what is urgent.

To conclude, university can deliver a tried and tested student who has gone through dust and has had to swim in deeper oceans in order to achieve their goals. University is indeed a wonderful experience that can come along with its share of thorns and cuts. Be ready, be prepared.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Food Security -

Food to plate can be a normal thing; while to some, especially if it is not freque certain processes and stages which include production, processing, transportat processes are then considered the logistics of food.

Interestingly, the logistics of food may influence food security. This can be in a otal in identifying challenges and successes which can influence food security b

Food security should not only be based on the production of agricultural comm post consumption of food.

Luckily, the logistics of food are inclusive of various industries and fields of wor wheat (production), and then the wheat needs to be stored in the appropriate industries can design innovative buildings or storage facilities that can meet th nations has to also be adequate and efficient (car manufacturers can then inno until wheat becomes bread that can be used for a sandwich.

All these stages are required to be managed and developed by different segme and/or building that will initiate minimal loss through adequate transportation Regarding transportation of agricultural produce, it is a diverse segment in foo (railway) and via boats on the sea (marine), but have you ever wondered if agri lishing a safe, functional, efficient, affordable, and reliable air transport network

The exact role of developing the logistics of food in order to achieve food secu the available products within the different industries can mean better risk mana

Masiziba

- also logistics

ent, can mean hunger. However, the common thing is that food has to undergo tion, storage and what may happen after post-consumption (i.e. waste). All these

beneficial or detrimental manner. Understanding the logistics of food is then pivby proposing solutions and showing what does not work and what can be fixed.

modities but should focus on the storage of the produce, the transportation and

rk. Hence, integration can mean opportunities. For instance, a farmer can plant manner immediately after harvest. This could then mean that construction related he storage requirements of wheat. From there, transportation of wheat to destiovate suitable transportation vehicles). The warehouse also has to be efficient etc.

ents other than agriculture. For example, a farmer cannot design his own vehicle and storage especially without prior experience and knowledge. od security. The produce can be transported by trucks, cars etc. (road) or trains icultural commodities can be transported via the air? Well, that may rely in estabk.

urity is quite complex and very interesting. However, access to information about agement for farmers and ensure that food security is achieved.

a Hadebe

What? Cannot be? .. yes... and much more!

Imagine eating beef from a cow that has been massaged and given beer! Well that is possible. Kobe beef, sometimes misspelled as Colby beef, comes from the Tajima-gyu breed of cattle found in Japan’s Hyōgo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital and the meat’s namesake. These cows drink beer and are massaged with rice wine and made to listen to classical music.

Interestingly, there is no concrete evidence to propose that any of these techniques improve flavour or texture. However, they do undoubtedly give us the image of the cows living as kings, especially if one had to consider the rich history associated with these cows.

Kobe beef is popular for its superior flavour, tenderness and high amount of intramuscular fat, giving the meat a marbled appearance. It is often cited as being healthier than commercial beef because of its high concentration of monounsaturated fats and omega-3s. Therefore it is expensive and rare, even in Japan.

Although Kobe beef is majestic and very expensive, it is not the most expensive in the world.

The most expensive beef in the world though is reportedly from a farm in North-eastern France where a butcher who runs his own abattoir creates aged steaks from his Blonde Aquitaine stock through a process of hibernation. Through the process, in which cold air is blown at 75 km per hour onto the meat in a -45 degree Fahrenheit environment, the beef may be kept for an indeterminate amount of time without loss of quality.

Fascinatingly, Uruguay, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and Brazil are the only countries with more cows than people. So the amount of cows is larger than the population of people.

Also, the first cow to fly in an airplane was Elm Farm Ollie in February 1930. Incidentally, Ollie was also the first cow to be milked on an airplane. One could ask why the cow was on an airplane.

Did they need to transport it or its milk that urgently or was it an experiment?

Interestingly, cows can walk up a flight of stairs, but once there, they can’t walk back down. Their knees just don’t bend the right way. How did this fact come about? Was someone keeping the cows inside a house or building with stairs? Or was it an experiment to improve a security measure for the cows? I mean who would want to carry a cow all the way through the stairs into a truck outside. That could be hard robbery.

Masiziba Hadebe

Studying Further Ever heard of a thesis or someone being a Doctor without being a medical doctor? Well, those are some of the key characteristics that can indicate how further someone has studied after their first undergraduate degree. The continuation of the degree at a higher level (i.e. Honours, Masters Etc.) is referred to as postgraduate studies although some postgraduate degrees do not require the completion of particular bachelor’s degree.

Knowledge and willing to acquire more knowledge becomes a common denominator in succeeding in your postgraduate studies. In other cases, knowledge about programme requirements becomes your gain to entry in these study programmes where there is usually limited space as per university course of action.

One should start enquiring as soon as possible because some postgraduate requirements require one to obtain a certain average or percentage in major modules throughout their undergraduate degree, in other words, marks from first year to the final year of study in major subjects.

Therefore, it is not recommended to enquire about postgraduate studies during your final year of study because you may find that the programme requirements are different from what you have

attained throughout the degree.

Additionally, alternative options should be mapped and carefully evaluated. For instance, there are four main types of postgraduate degrees: taught courses, research degrees, conversion courses and professional qualifications. Interestingly, many postgraduate courses are studied at university, but some courses are taught in a commercial environment, in other words, can be part time or full time.

Postgraduate studies are diverse because you could study a subject that is completely new to you, or you could choose a course which builds on what you have learned in your bachelor’s degree and change lives.

Research degrees are often referred to as doctorates. The main types of doctorates are: PhDs, DPhils, integrated PhDs and professional doctorates. Doctorates can be taken after a master’s degree or, in some cases, after a bachelor’s degree, during which the master’s is usually earned along the way. Doctorates are generally completed over two to four years.

The main component of a PhD is the doctoral thesis. This is a research project on a specialist topic and can be between 40,000 and 120,000 words. It should be worthy of publication and add something new to your field of study which simply translates to an original contribution. This is similar to what Isaac Newton did in his field of study.

After immersing yourself in a subject you love and you acquire your doctorate, then you get to put ‘Dr’ in front of your name without being a medical doctor.

Masiziba Hadebe

Misshapen Fruit and vegeta Misshapen but perfectly edible fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste has been proposed to be sold to supermarkets at a discount in order to reduce food wastage. However, this has been debatable.

Jamie Olivier from the UK was part of a campaign encouraging shoppers to buy “crooked” or misshapen carrots, knobbly pears and wonky potatoes, in an effort to reduce food waste. In fact, during their campaign, they met farmers who assured them that they were unable to sell thousands of tonnes of their fresh vegetables to supermarkets because they were deemed imperfect or misshapen.

Additionally, the retailer – the UK’s second largest supermarket during 2015 – said long-standing consumer resistance was about price and quality, but its research showed that 65% of its customers were now open to the idea of buying oddly shaped fresh produce, while 75% would definitely buy “wonky” if it was cheaper.

However, other reports indicate that although misshapen food is marketed as a way to reduce food waste, selling it cheap will not help, because it does not address the underlying issue: that consumers are buying too much food that could end up not used whether Misshapen or not.

ables to curb food insecurity?

On the other hand, some critics believe that misshapen fruit and vegetables should be shipped to countries that may need them or food-insecure communities.

cessed before distribution.

This then boils down to the logistics of food (storing, transporting and packaging), which also then brings in another factor of funding such as the financial capital to do this. In other instances, these misshapen fruits may need to be pro-

The debate of misshapen fruits and vegetables is complex, but one thing is for sure: the world is currently faced with the unequal distribution of food in which the result is hunger whilst also the prediction that there will not be enough food in the coming years.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Masiziba at In-service trainin Ever heard of a student stating “I have to attend practical” or “I have in-service training this year”? This is because some courses of study, depending on the institution of study, have programmes that include a day, and in some cases, a year ‘out of class.’

In-service training, which is popularly done by engineering students amongst many other study fields such as agriculture, radiography etc. is whereby a student is required to go work in their field of study under a registered company or institution specialising in the field of study.

It can range for a period of 6 months to an entire year depending on university specific requirements. It is done to give practical experience to students and forms part of their degree or diploma. Commonly, students at universities of technology and TVET colleges are required to have in-service training as part of their qualification. Education students are also required to do in-service training as part of their degree.

In-service training can have its own fair share of advantages and disadvantages, depending various factors. In-service training is beneficial in such a way that it offers practical experience in the work place, giving one an upper hand or competitive advantage to a student who just did “theoretical work”.

Additionally, it allows students to network. Good impressions on the right people may result in lifetime networks. Moreover, depending on where one might do the in-service training, it may result in some form of remuneration.

t University: ng and Practical On the other hand, some students can be faced with the challenge of finding where to do their in-service training. Some institutions of study have not yet formed partnerships with the relevant companies or organisations required by students to complete their in-service training, wherefore it becomes the student’s responsibility to knock on doors asking for assistance in this regard.

Additionally, depending on the financial status of the student or agreement with funders, it may result in some costs (such as transport, accommodation etc.) to be incurred by a student.

Practical, on the other hand, is usually incorporated into the student’s schedule or timetable. Students discover, implement and apply, instead of just listening and taking notes like in theoretical sessions.

Personally I find this approach extremely valuable as it combines all the theory with a practical aspect. As it is much more than just a few weeks (6-12 months) it gives us the ability to ‘live’ the real thing that we will meet later in life – after university.

Masiziba Hadebe

Is technological advancem Scientists all over the world are inspired to do research in their fields and across other fields. Therefore, technological advancement in any sector can be inspired by different fields, and the same goes for agriculture and the food sector in general. But what can technology advancement really mean for the agricultural sector, and how can that contribute to food security?

Reports have shown that technology advancement in the agricultural sector can prove beneficial to some of the challenges faced by the industry and its subordinate sectors.

These can be challenges such as disease and pest control (both in livestock and crop production), and transportation costs of produce, such as fish or tomatoes, from one place to another.

Additionally, technological advancement can mean that ‘competitive advantage’ is no longer an advantage for some regions or countries. This is because technological advancement, in other instances, means that any plant or any animal can be planted and raised in any region as the technology sets the climatic conditions along with the incorporation of soilless farming in the picture.

This then can reduce the factor of transporting the produce from one region to another.

According to an article published by The Economist, if agriculture is to continue to feed the world, it needs to become more like manufacturing. For instance, Tom Rogers, an al-

ment key in food security? mond farmer in California was facing water challenges especially since almonds are considered as ‘thirsty’.

Technology, however, has come to Mr Rogers’s aid. His farm is wired up like a lab rat. Or, to be more accurate, it is wirelessed up. Moisture sensors planted throughout the nut groves keep track of what is going on in the soil. They send their results to the cloud to be crunched. The results are passed back to the farm’s irrigation system—a grid of drip taps (hoses with holes punched in them) that are filled by pumps. The system resembles the hydroponics (soilless farming) used to grow vegetables in greenhouses.

Mr Roger’s farm then becomes more like a factory: tightly controlled operations for turning out reliable produce, immune as far as possible from the vagaries of nature.

Regardless of this, access to such information and technology for all farmers and producers in the world becomes a challenge because of the start-up costs, the economic status of the country and region etc. This then boils down to the unequal distribution of food because of economic status and the fact that may also count in on technology advancement particularly in food production.

“Food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food to maintain a healthy and active life”. Masiziba Hadebe

My last tip for university My university series consisted of articles that explained the do’s and don’ts of varsity but moreover they explained the technical terms and lingo of varsity. However, I do need to mention one last immaculate detail: one needs to really enjoy university.

In the mist of all the work that needs to be done, the deadlines to be meet and the maintenance of a social life, to enjoy varsity is one important factor to value and stress on.

Enjoying varsity for me really lies in finding out stuff about you, linked to your surroundings. Doing what pleases you, be it hiking or taking walks or playing monopoly. It merely lies in the fact of finding time for yourself. Getting enough amounts of sleep. Relaxing and connecting with thyself.

For some varsity students, this may sound impractical but let us explore the factor of enjoyment with some random facts linked to this.

Firstly, a Harvard study estimated that sleep deprivation costs Ameri-

can companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. In the context of university, sleep deprivation on an individual level may translate to blackouts, missing class or even worse; tests. Not that either of them are not detrimental in effect.

Secondly, Stanford researcher Cheri D. Mah found that when she got male basketball players to sleep 10 hours a night, their performances in practice dramatically improved: free-throw and three-point shooting each increased by an average of 9 percent.

Additionally, more vacations are similarly beneficial. In 2006, the accounting firm Ernst & Young did an internal study of its employees and found that for each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their year-end performance ratings from supervisors (on a scale of one to five) improved by 8 percent. Frequent vacationers were also significantly less likely to leave the firm.

The introduction of the enjoyment factor in varsity does allow you to create your own vacation. However, it is safe to say that students must be significantly more likely to leave varsity as it is their aim to graduate after all.

Truth be told, as much as I would love the enjoyment factor to pitch up the day before a test or before an assignment due date, it is virtually bad advice. Time management is then crucial; it is after all ‘finding’ time for yourself. Reward yourself on work done and not to be done.

Enjoy varsity whilst doing what you are there for. This is definitely advice I would have loved to hear before I got to university.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Water management The global water and food situation is widely debated considering the strong relationship between the two.

Thus, water management is a critical input in food production, and farmers all around the world have been cognisant of this.

According to reports, agriculture accounts for 70% of water usage. It is used for irrigation of plants, but also for animal consumption (cows, sheep, chicken, etc).

Conserving water then means oiptimising the irrigation systems. This is simple mechanical considerations with great savings when done correctly.

Other methods of efficient water use in crop production may lie in planting crops that require less water during their growth season.

For the first time, scientists have genetically edited plants to use 25% less water without compromising yield. The research, reported in Nature Communications, is part of the international research project Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE). “Making crop plants more water-use efficient is arguably the greatest challenge for current and future plant scientists,” said co-first author Johannes Kromdijk, a postdoctoral researcher.

However, the heavy water users are animal-source foods which are expected to double by 2050. Therefore water use in livestock production must also be effectively managed. At present, global livestock production demands about 30% of the global agricultural water requirement.

t and Food security Additionally, water is needed to raise livestock, be it cows, chickens, horses, or rabbits. Livestock water use is water associated with livestock watering, feedlots, dairy operations, and other on-farm needs.

Other livestock water uses include cooling of facilities for the animals and animal products such as milk, dairy sanitation and wash down of facilities, animal waste-disposal systems, and incidental water losses. This is far more than what the animals actually consume.

It starts the debate whether animals will be needed in the future as a food resource.

Although several different approaches have been proposed to measure water use in livestock production, there is no clear or consistent method for assessment. This makes it difficult for stakeholders to identify whether there is a direct link between water use and environmental impacts, such as water scarcity and local water quality impacts.

Water management in both crop and livestock production needs to be improved in the near future to achieve food security as water is a scarce resource and with the population growth it is only going to get even more scarce.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Your health

‘I need to eat healthy’ is a popular expression that falls into most people’s New Year’s resolutions and long term goals. But how do we eat healthy?

It is commonly known that vegetables and fruits are essential. Fruits such as oranges and lemon (citrus fruits) are good sources of vitamin C. However, since they are water soluble vitamins, they are not stored in the body and need to be replaced every day. Conversely, vitamin C can cause diarrhoea if taken in excess.

Vegetables, on the other hand, need to be prepared well to maximize their benefits. As a general rule, it is best to keep cooking time, temperature and the amount of liquid to a minimum. That is why steaming is one of the best ways to cook most vegetables. Studies show that during deep-fat frying, fat penetrates the food and vegetables dehydrate.

Fibre is also important in a healthy diet as it can help with digestion, glucose levels, and healthy cholesterol levels. Fibre can be found in fruits and vegetables as well as in nuts, beans, and whole grains. To increase intake of whole grains, look for breads that have “whole wheat” as their top ingredient. It is also important to avoid processed snacks and baked goods that contain mainly white flours and sugars.

Lastly, it is important to control your portion sizes to avoid over-eating. Because even if you eat healthy, you can still overeat. Avoid going back for seconds!

More fish

no to over-eat

Smaller portions

No seconds

E B

y h t l a Eat He ? t a e o t t a h w But Meat consumption is a great way to acquire the protein needed in your diet.

HOWEVER, not all types of meat offer the same health benefits.

Red meat and pork should only be eaten in limited amounts because they are high in saturated fats. Instead, one can eat white meat, like chicken or turkey.

The best alternative to meat is fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered to be good for heart health and good for the brain too!

Did you know?

Omega-3s Can Fight Depression and Anxiety Omega-3s Can Improve Eye Health Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Improve Sleep Omega-3 Fats Are Good For Your Skin

Salt is also an important factor to consider when attempting a healthy diet. Processed foods, boxed foods, and baked goods are typically very high in sodium.

Too much sodium in your diet could lead to high blood pressure. It is therefore important to limit your sodium intake by eating more fresh foods. When eating processed foods; read the labels, and choose lower sodium alternatives.

Masiziba Hadebe

Work, study and what I made it into university now I need to make it out of university; but in the process, I might be in the wait due to one simple question: Now I got my degree, what is next?

There are numerous things I could do after university. It all depends really on the process and the person behind the process. Typically, it could be work or an internship or studying further or even starting my own business.

For instance, work is highly associated with an overwhelming unemployment rate in South Africa. It is currently standing at 26.6%, thus this could be a discouragement. But can I really be an employee?

In terms of the skill set and experience? And how can I test myself that I am indeed ready for the world of work.

According to reports, a good employee has strong work ethic: Setting and achieving goals.

In fact, according to CareerBuilder, 73% of employers want to see applicants demonstrate their ability to work hard. Candidates who set high goals for themselves, or respond well to goals set by supervisors, indicate a willingness to do more than clock in and clock out every day.

knowu h t r Wo e letters give f

ai nc Refere rs a way to g e y e’s emplo o a candidat i nt sight i nd capabilit a ground ll-written le e solid, w ial employer nt a pote ion than th at inform obtain by lly norma ompany’s c ing the epartme sd source great let a getting ormanc rf past pe e write th asking a cou ter the let u act yo before

Masiziba H

t after the education!

wing

uture in in’s back ies. A ives etter g r more uld hey wo callly y simp rean s hum key to e ent. Th t your ou tter ab ith ts w ce star ide rov er to p nths f mo uple o ed it. ne tually

Hadebe

Secondly, a good employee is considered dependable: Consistently following through. Also chosen by 73% of employers, dependability can make all the difference between a candidate who usually follows through, and one who always does. Candidates who show a commitment to completing tasks on time are assets.

Thirdly, a good employee is also considered to resemble a positive attitude: Creating a good environment. Great employees consistently stand out for their upbeat attitudes and earn positive reputations for themselves. One trait is a candidate’s ability to acknowledge mistakes and still move forward in a positive way. It suggests they will be equally resilient in the workplace.

Other characteristics include the ability to be self-motivated (working effectively with little direction: Sheer enthusiasm and interest in the work is often enough to drive these employees), Team-oriented (making the most out of collaboration), Effective communicator (understanding the benefits of clarity) and flexible (adapting in a meaningful way) Reference letters from people who have worked with you before is a great way to show that you possess the skills stated above. That is why it is important to volunteer and to do meaningful extra-curricular activities during university.

u o y e r

A

? t s o l

Finding your way around university.

University can be a big place. In fact, most universities are quite big considering they have to house thousands of students. This can be daunting for some first year students especially on the first day of class; finding their way around campus.

The first option on the table is to ask people who know their way around; senior students, security officials or lecturers. However, some seniors can literally inform you of the wrong venue. This is a form of initiation, but here are some tips to ensure you find your way around.

Do your own research. For instance, if your class is at some building at a certain lecture hall, go there the day before, and if your class is on the Monday of the next week, go on a Friday. Likely, you will bump into someone who will be more than willing to show you the way or you will find a schematic representation (usually on walls) of the lecture halls and you can read it at your own pace. Do not come late if you do not know where the venue is. This is because you will end up being late for class looking for the venue.

Masiziba Hadebe

Masiziba Hadebe Masiziba Hadebe

Attend orientation days held at your campus and do not be afraid to take notes. Ask questions if you are unclear about the venue or building number. Although this may be tedious, it is definitely worth it.

Pay attention to university official communication. Venues do change, especially if the numbers of students enrolling for the course increase or vice versa; you do not want to be in a wrong class that you thought was right.

Make friends or at least acquaintances with people in your class. This is recommended because you can instantly recognize them when in a venue. In fact, this does save you the trouble of sitting in a wrong venue for the whole entire lecture with a subject you are completely unfamiliar with because you are too scared to leave the class while the lecturer is still speaking.

Lastly use technology. Try Google maps. It is also recommended to check if the university does not have their own app that helps with finding the venue. Explore their website, there might be options to get a virtual tour or directions.

Is South Africa a net importer of food or According to the South African poultry association (SAPA), every ton of imports represents South African jobs lost, or not created. In fact, SAPA has estimated that 30 000 jobs could be created by replacing chicken imports.

Furthermore, according to data made available by the South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO), pork imports for July 2017 consisted of fresh, chilled and frozen meat of swine mostly from Germany (37%) and Spain (21%).

Due to the cases stated above, does that make south Africa a net importer of food?

In an article published in Grain SA in March 2015 and written by Jan Greyling from the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University states that “Contrary to popular belief, the country [South Africa] is not self-sufficient in its food supply but does not operate as a net importer of agricultural products due to the exports of high value items such as fruit and wine.”

This is the confusing bit: We import basic foods to cater for consumption. So, we are NOT self-sufficient in terms of basic food. But YES, we export high-value items (wine etc). The VALUE of the export is greater than the value of the imports.

That is why the agricultural sector maintained a positive trade surplus (i.e. agricultural exports are still greater than agricultural imports) in early 2018, although its total exports and imports are down by 0.4% and 6.8% respectively as compared to the same period in 2017.

“Agricultural exports are an important source of revenue for our economy, and developing our agricultural sector is key to enhancing our food security and for attracting investment,” “Agricultural exports are an important source of revenue for our economy, and developing our agricultural sector is key to enhancing our food security and for attracting investment,” The president of South Africa stated in his State Of the Nation Address (SONA)

Masiziba Hadebe

Food Se Does food distribution in a region determine the level of Food Security for the region?

F

ood distribution is a process in which a general population is supplied with food. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) considers food distribution as a subset of the food system. The process and methodology behind food distribution varies by location. This then means that the factors affecting food distribution influence the level of food security in the area.

T

here are various risk factors that can affect food distribution. War, economic failure, political problems, and weather conditions all play a role in determining the efficiency of any food system.

T

wo recent examples of war and economic failure impacting food distribution includes the decline of food distribution in Japan during World War II and food recession in Sub-Saharan Africa during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

I

n both cases, food distribution was hindered and the population in these areas consequently suffered.

Let’s take Ethiopia degradation cause structure (making i country’s most pro export developmen million people nee

ecurity A

lthough special organizations, like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), exist today to prevent any total collapses in food distribution, assist in developing food distribution and food systems in underdeveloped areas, and respond to food distribution crises, some areas that produce large amounts of food still find themselves in a rising scourge of food insecurity.

AO? F s i ho ialized

W : “is a spec

s ys Nation a s d i e t k i i n W U rts of the al effo agency s internation g both ad ervin that le nger. S oping u h t a to defe d and devel ral a neut s pe s o a l e s t v c e d ta Oa ies, FA l nations mee s countr l here a te argument w m u r a fo negoti o t s l a equ licy.” ate po b e d d an

Do we find examples?

for instance. Ethiopia’s agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil ed by overgrazing, deforestation, high levels of taxation and poor infrait difficult and expensive to get goods to market). Yet agriculture is the omising resource. A potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for nt in livestock, grains, vegetables, and fruits. However, as many as 4.6 ed food assistance annually.

Food Se I

n Sub-Saharan Africa, the food distribution crisis of the 1970s and 1980s was a result of a multitude of food distribution risk factors including political problems, economic failures, and weather conditions.

T

he heart of the political problems and economic failures affecting food distribution included poor agricultural pricing and a lack of state involvement with rural development. In other words, food was produced but the distribution thereof was poor.

T

he weather and environmental issues regarding the Sub-Saharan African food distribution crisis also have roots in failed colonial policy. Labour migration cycles used during colonial times were ecologically damaging to the local environment and failed to create new areas for growing crops.

A

s a result, desertification and a loss of soil fertility hurt the local agricultural sector, which then in turn negatively affected food distribution.

Se d o o F he defi T

easu is a m c y t i r u ec s’ a Food s individual aff d s n food a ility include b i s acces

T

A t

okyo r imate esidents ly 90 There gra a r e some m metr opoli tan T 38 okyo his eq u meat als rough ly p er porte d into day whic throu gh To Tokyo. An kyo t raffic – an it be do ne? T secur his is ity!

T

C

Masiziba

ecurity

ity ecuiorn

init

of ability l i a v a re the ure of ity to it, whe l i ccessib ity. il b fforda

M

oreover, some of the political problems can be traced back to the colonial period. Colonial policy supported the exportation of goods, even if it meant decreasing the amount of food for the local economy.

C

thou

ght

s con su m of me appro m x 8 mil eat per d lion p a eople y. o. in

y 3,50 0 ch m tons of ust b e nd al l of th transis – eve ry da y! s also food

Hadebe

omponents of these colonial policies continued to be used after African countries gained their freedom from European nations. The usage of these failed policies caused further challenges, including the exploitation of peasant agriculture and in removal of peasants from their land.

F

rom this, it is clear that Food distribution is directly linked to Food security. Thus it is recommended that, in order to achieve food security, nations need to look into the risk factors and propose and implement solutions especially considering that political problems do affect a nation’s food security level.

I

n addition to this, I believe investing in finding solutions for environmental issues is of importance. For instance, investing and/or promoting research and entrepreneurship to provide solutions in tackling climate change.

Unpacking body image

What do

B

ody image is how you see yourself when yo compasses what you believe about your ow tions).

I T A

t is how you feel about your body, including your height, s body as you move. It also includes how you physically expe

he importance of a positive body image proves beneficia that having a positive body image will result in you havin

positive body image results in emotional awareness and ficult situations, handle adversity, and remain productive you your body is not perfect.

There is r

A Negative body image can be associated with how you see

New research — led by Jennifer Mills, an associate professor ada, and Jacqueline Hogue, a Ph.D. student in the departmen self-perceived body image of young women. Mills and Hogu

They tested 118 female undergraduate students aged betwe

The results revealed that after interacting with attractive pee as interacting with family members did not have any bearing

“Social media engagement with attractive peers increases ne

Learning to accept yourself and your body—or even ju most important personal skills for the mind. You are

you see in the mirror?

ou look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. It enwn appearance (including your memories, assumptions, and generaliza-

shape, and weight. It is how you sense and control your erience or feel in your body.

al to many aspects of your life. In fact, research has proven ng more confidence in yourself and your abilities.

d self-control, called emotional stability. It means you can withstand dife and capable throughout even though you may face situations that tell

research done!

e yourself compared to people on social media.

r in the Department of Psychology at York University in Toronto, Cannt’s Clinical Program — examined the effects of social media on the ue published their findings in the journal Body Image.

een 18 and 27 after logging into Facebook and Instagram.

ers, the women’s perceptions of their own appearance changed, whereg on their body image.

egative state body image,” explained the researchers.

ust to give yourself a break every now and then—is one of the beautiful.

Masiziba Hadebe

vs Indigenous foods vs non-African We talk a lot about climate change and how our food consumption must be re-evaluated. But why is that the foods indigenous to Southern Africa is not appreciated whereas foods not really suitable to Africa is grown? Plants suited for Northern Europe with its wet and cold climate need special care here. And does it make sense when we have plants adapted (and just as good) to Africa?

Masiziba is looking into this intriguing situation:

S

outh Africa is considered to be one of the 30 driest countries in the world with an average of 464 mm of rain per year (compared to a global average of 860 mm). However, agricultural irrigation represents approximately 60% of the total water requirement. Is it because crops that are not native to South Africa are being cultivated?

L

et us take potatoes for instance: to produce 150 grams of a medium potato uses 43.5 litres per unit while processing those potatoes to a 150 g Portion of chips uses and additional units of 156 litres.

I

ndigenous food crops, on the other hand, refer to food crops that have their origin in South Africa. These food crops are adapted to the South African climate. They are divided into three main categories; namely grains, vegetables and fruit.

igenous crops xamples of ind ch of the grains su include some , Grain sorghum as Pearl millet, ara groundnuts Cowpea, Bamb the While some of . n a e b g n u M and ome, ps include Cle Vegetable cro w, ck, Jews mallo ja ck la B , th n ra Ama ally, madumbe. Fin A d n a va a ss a ilkC Marula, Red m e d u cl in s p o fruit cr lar, lum Wild med p la o b o M , d o wo onkey i apple and m Num-num, Ke orange. nd, the indige n the other ha rcu p sector is nous food cro the allenges. First, rently facing ch as the y fragmented tl n e rr cu is r o sect not well ous crops are of actual indigen ditionally, most d A . st lo r o n know ested found and harv re a s p o cr se e th in the wild. ction and conoreover, produ declined; and sumption has ented and undocum d e it lim is re e th imal ing to the min information ow en rch that has be a se re f) o ck la (or conducted.

E

Did you know?

O

M

tritional and espite their nu they offer, the e lu va ic m o n eco re never ir products we e th d n a s p o cr of the d. The surplus commercialise ally traded inform ly n o is ce u d pro te nities to genera within commu farmers. income for the

Bambara groundnut represents the third most important grain legume in semi-arid Africa.

“It is resistant to high temperature and is suitable for marginal soils where other leguminous crops cannot be grown”.

In addition, it makes very little demand on the soil and has a high nutritive value. For these reasons it is not prone to the risk of total harvest failure even in low and uncertain rainfall regions

D

Source: a lot of Wiki

vs Indigenous foods vs non-African

A

bout the value of these crops to address food security and climate change. Much more needs to be done. In particular, the production and consumption must be encouraged.

F

or instance, let us take Pearl millet also commonly known as Nyalothi, Ntweka, Amabele, Unyaluthi, Unyawoti, UnyawothiInyawuthi, Muvhoho, Babala, Manna, Leotja, Mhunga and Bulrush millet.

I

t is produced in the Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State provinces. It is used mainly as whole, cracked or ground flour, dough, or grain-like rice. It can be made into fermented breads, foods and thick porridges, steam-cooked dishes, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

P

earl millet is also grown for silage and hay production. Crop residue and green plants provide building materials for fencing, thatching and making basketry.

OR

OR

Masiziba Hadebe

E

ven if millet is commercialized, people will still be eating wheat-based bread. Farmers who produce millet, will be combating climate change by simply cultivating millet instead of wheat.

I

n order to use the South African dry climate to attempt to achieve food security, specifically, in the long term, we need to tap into the indigenous food crop sector. This sector, just like any other sector, is driven by Demand and Supply.

W

ithout specification on which one comes first, we need the stakeholders in each party to start encouraging the Supply (production) and the Demand (consumption) of the indigenous plants.

M

ore research needs to be done because currently, although cultivation of these exotic crops is successful and currently achieving food security, what happens with climate change in the long term?

S Did you know?

outh Africa is getting drier and drier while these exotic food crop plants remain consistent in their (most times large) water requirements.

Pearl millet is well adapted to growing areas characterized by drought, low soil fertility, and high temperature.

It performs well in soils with high salinity or low pH. Because of its tolerance to difficult growing conditions, it can be grown in areas where other cereal crops, such as maize or wheat, would not survive.

Pearl millet is a summer annual crop well-suited for double cropping and rotations

Charity - the ri A group of students gather and share light!

O

fficially launched in early 2018, Spirit Man Gathering or affectionately known as “SMG” is an organisation where a group of students from the University of the Free State (UFS) gather from all walks of life and share light on the issues and challenges affecting our society.

T

hese sixty volunteers focus on several issues that affect our society. This includes woman empowerment (an initiative referred to as ‘superwoman’), role of the male child in the society, food and clothing distribution for disadvantaged families and for people living on the streets in the Bloemfontein CBD, and empowerment of young people in business amongst many others.

A

ccording to Elphick Fakude, founder and Chairperson of SMG, the ‘Superwoman’ department not only focuses on woman empowerment and educating women about who they are, but also distribute sanitary towels.

F

akude further mentions that their aim to also educate the male figure about their role in a changing society is important because the role of the female figure is always constantly being redefined, thus this should be a two-way street. “We focus on empowering young men, educating them on business, interactions, how to behave, integrity, how to become intellectuals and how to keep the role of male figure significant in this society” says Fakude

ight thing to do F

urthermore, SMG focuses on food distribution where they distribute grocery packages to disadvantaged families in unfavourable situations that can be redefined.

H

owever, they do not only feed them for a month, as they empower and equip these families to start their own mini-businesses. “It does not help to feed a person one day and then they don’t know what they are going to eat the next day” says Fakude .

S

MG also distributes food plates and clothing in the Bloemfontein CBD for the homeless. While there, they also engage with the homeless and enquire of the reasons why they are on the street and what SMG can do to get them off the street.

T

o finance this initiative, SMG acquires sponsorship from volunteers, independent donors like lecturers and companies.

In addition to this, SMG does fundraising events such as raffle tickets, selling SMG branded t-Shirts, selling muffins etc. and all profit made is geared towards implementing the initiatives that enable these group of students to share light and challenge the Status Quo.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agrifreighter: A ne F

ood wastage is increasing globally with 40% of losses occurring at post-harvest and processing levels in developing countries.

A

s more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels, a group of three young people realised that something had to be done; hence they founded Agrifreighter, an online agricultural and commodity logistics marketplace to face the challenge.

F

ounded in November 2018, Agrifreighter outsources trucks for transporting agricultural products and commodities. Moreover, Agrifreighter is a link between their customers (farmers, mines and energy companies) and the end consumer (i.e. where the product is supposed to be delivered).

T

heir platform allows a distinct link allowing for ‘trust’ to occur between truck drivers and the people who will receive the agricultural products and commodities.

A

lthough Agrifreighter does not own any of the trucks, they ensure that the transportation of agricultural produce are transported in such a way that reduces spoilage which will translate to an increase in profit for farmers, according to CEO and Founder, Khangwelo Magada

C

urrently, cold chain is widely used in transporting services. It is a sequence of

ew way in logistics t

emperature-controlled supply chain, comprising preparation, packaging, storage, distribution, retail holding, display, purchase and home storage until use. This applies to chilled or frozen food from raw material to final consumption.

C

old chain storage actually accelerates food spoilage, especially in greens.

Greens respond better to high humidity rather than low temperatures. We want to replicate the same system [cold chain], but one that is much more fair to the farmer, and also provides information as well as input while procuring material from them in a fair and transparent manner.” Says Magada

CEO and Co-Founder Khangwelo Magada

A

lthough Agrifreighter was recently founded, their company aims to stay small for two years. This is done to perfect their service and to ensure that it is efficient. Agrifreighter already has a website that is up and running where their customers can access their service with just three steps.

F

irstly, you choose a location then you choose the truck or trailer and lastly the product to be transported. The system will then generate a quote.

By Masiziba Hadebe.

Who

We promised to write siziba Hadebe.

You may have read h old. High-School stud

A bit about backgrou passion; hence she go

According to Masizib real ‘journo’. It also ta

From the editorial tea heart. She chose to w big topic for a high-s That article series ove situation. It is still a compendium in bringing very complex issues down to so

Masiziba is now doing her BSc at University of the Free State in Agricultural S Security’

Is she recognised by others? YES and that gave us the inspiration to write about just one woman for Women’s Day: We quote from a letter to Masiziba “Dear Masiziba Hadebe, Golden key international honour society invites you!

Golden Key International Honour Society congratulates you on your outstanding academic achievement at the University of the Free State and extends an invitation to join the Society. Golden Key was chartered at the University of the Free State on 7 September 2000 to recognise and reward students in the top 15% of their respective degree programs. The Society provides international recognition for academic achievement andmembership is by invitation only, to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.”

o is Masiziba Hadebe?

e about Women’s Day. Well, we are writing about just one woman: Ma-

her articles ever since she started writing for us back in 2016. As 16 years dent like yourself.

und: Masiziba is from Balfour in Mpumalanga. Writing has always been her ot into Hola MaHigh-School.

ba, her first article (16 days of Activism) made her feel like a real pro, like a aught her the value of planning and getting into a mindset of learning.

am’s perspective, we ‘challenged’ Masiziba to find a topic close to her write about nuclear energy. The editor nearly fell out of her shoes! This is a school student but never say never. er several months covered everything worth knowing about the energy omething we all can understand. We did learn a lot from her!

Sciences. … and that is probably also why she writes the series on ‘Food

a:

What is Golden Key? Golden Key is an internationally recognised, non-profit organization affiliated with over 400 universities throughout Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, The Bahamas and the United States.

The Society’s mission is to enable members to realize their potential by connecting individual achievement with service and lifelong opportunity.

Golden Key is the world’s largest honour society and is a mission-focused, values-based and demographics-driven organization. With 41 years of rich tradition, Golden Key remains committed to scholarship, career development, leadership and community service. Golden Key South Africa started in 2000 and touched the lives of more than 70,000 South Africans.

Women in Agricultu

It is Women’s Month and it is worth high-lighting some interesting wom pation? Hard to tell, but it is not very often we see highly motivated and

This article should be read with two objectives in mind: Women can be s low your dream, but do it with your eyes wide open. Remember: Farming

Mbali Nwoko Mbali Nwoko launched her Green Terrace crop farming business in 2016. According to an article published in Farmers weekly, Nwoko’s curiosity and determination to farm enabled her to create partnerships in the farming sector.

These have ensured a bright future for her young farming business.

Before being an energetic farmer, Nwoko was the co-founder and managing director of a recruitment agency. In 2016, just three years after starting the business, she made a drastic career change after being introduced to farming by a friend who had also recently started his own farming business.

Currently, Green Terrace grows a variety of crops such as spinach, green peppers, baby marrow and green beans, which are supplied to leading retailers such as Food Lover’s Market, as well as the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market

ure: Amazing people!

men in less traditional jobs. Is farming a mostly male-dominated occud high-powered women turning to farming.

successful in whtever occupation they choose! And as important: Folg is also a business.

Dimakatso Sekhoto, (Nono) According to a Bio published in Growth Shoot, inspirational Dimakatso Sekhoto, (Nono), developed her love and deep understanding of agriculture in 2011 when she became the managing director of her family commercial farm, which was 2100 hectares of farm land farming cattle, dairy, apples and grain. Nono was then selected for several development opportunities such as business programmes for women with Gibs and EY, and for the Young Agricultural Professional Fellows Program in Oklahoma, United States.

Before fully being involved in Farming, Nono had built a 7-year career in the financial services sector. However, her interest in the agricultural sector now focuses on finding ways to empower youth in agriculture in her various capacities such as the member of the National Executive Council of African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA), AFASA Youth Chairperson and as Board member of Thabang Holdings, an agricultural investment portfolio.

Nono’s work has attracted much attention as she has been featured on various radio stations, TV shows, print publication and on BBC Africa. Nono has spoken at international conferences and agricultural forums such a World Farmers Organisation (WFO), Brussels Briefing and UN Committee for Food Security.

Women in Agriculture Thato Moagi.

Thato Moagi was the winner of 2015 award for Limpopo’s Young Farmer of the Year and the DAFF Female Entrepreneur Awards commercial category with the Ministerial Award for Youth.

In addition, Moagi has been recognised and mentored by Investec and Nanjing Agricultural University and gained insight in International Food Production Industries in countries such as Israel and China. Moagi has also made history in December 2016 as she was the first South African to receive the prestigious Nuffield Agricultural Scholarship, which provided her funding to travel overseas to learn more on her chosen topic: “Exploring Integrated Beef Production Models.”

According to an article published in SME South Africa, Moagi is part of LeGae La Banareng farms which has been able to supply local fresh produce markets such as Tshwane Fresh Produce, processing markets such as McCain Foods SA and retail markets such as Pick ‘n Pay and Choppies.

Moreover, according to the company website, she has also been awarded for her active involvement as a young person in commercial production. In an interview with Farmers Weekly in 2015, Moagi’s advice to up-and-coming farmers is that a farm must be run like a business. “I believe in three rules: technical excellence, business excellence, and compliance excellence.

“She said.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agricultu

By Masizi Agricultural systems used in South Africa and worldwide are all an attempt to satisfy food needs sustainably. But where did it all start and what is happening today?

Do we even have a heritage or has it all been a long development without any major events?

For most of existence, humans were hunter-gatherers.

People lived a nomadic lifestyle, following the food supply – animals – as these migrated according to the seasons.

This is still the case in many countries: Sami people following the reindeers in Finland and Northern Russia.

Another is the Fula, numbering about 40 million people in total, and is one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. A significant proportion of the Fula – a third, or an estimated 12 to 13 million – are pastoralists, and their ethnic group is the largest nomadic pastoral community in the world (Wiki).

History shows that as the glaciers retreated and plant life patterns and growth areas changed in response, the need to move so often became slightly less essential Moreover, early civilization can be considered a boom time in agricultural science and technology. Around 5500 BC, the Sumerian civilization of the Middle East and other early pre Greco-Roman civilizations understood the need for a specialized agricultural workforce for their societies to thrive. This enabled the

ural Heritage iba Hadebe first cities to flourish Modern farming began around the 18th century, referred to as “The British Agricultural Revolution” when several advances and changes were made to farming in a short space of time that saw massive increases in yield and more efficient processes.

Regulated land management and selective cross-breeding began on an industrial scale to increase crop size as well as yields. Animal husbandry also improved, leading to a greater surplus than had been possible before. It is said that these changes triggered the industrial revolution and even greater concentration of urban developments.

Further gains were made through the ‘Green Revolution’ in the 1960’s: the massive usage and production of chemicals to increase yields and curb plant diseases.

Usage of ‘chemicals’ is not new: Plant nasturtium next to tomatoes which will then be protected from larvae. They don’t like the smell of nasturtium. Such remedies have been used for hundreds of thousands of years.

Today, however, “Sustainability” is the buzzword as the aim is to balance several conflicting needs - to protect the environment and to initiate practices that protects it while providing for the growing needs of the future population growth.

Conclusion is complex: agricultural heritage goes back to the earliest humans and we have to recognise the process for our survival.

Transport month Transporting agri-products

Transporting agricultural products involve many more steps than transporting industrial products due to the nature of the products.

According to the Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO), transport in agriculture is required from the harvest fields, to the threshing or drying site; from there to the farmer’s storehouses or to collection-centre warehouses; from there to the processing industries or to bigger central storage buildings (often much farther from where the commodity is grown) and from these industries or storage buildings to wholesalers or retailers for final marketing.

However, the cost associated with transporting certain agricultural products differs. For instance, according to an article published in Farmers Weekly, one of the largest agribusinesses in South Africa, ZZ2, reports that its transport costs as a percentage of total costs have increased by 6,3% since 2004, and now make up 8,3% of total costs in 2015.

ot si It is n nts t

u t amo s tra h g i e t r Air f oduc of r p l a r cultu ts for 11% m n accou freight is r i ng But a ies growi p tr coun ound (gra r year-

: imple f agri-

o to 1% ted but r o ansp issions. m r CO2 e om poore r f ms ly most ticket ite c) et h g hig ngo, avo ma pes,

The article further states that this is mirrored by data from the Citrus Growers’ Association, which shows that total operating cost for trucks carrying citrus increased from R10,62/km in 2010 to 15,32/ km in 2015. Over this period, fuel costs rose from about R4,50/ km to roughly R7,50/km.

Perishable food, including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meats, and fish products, needs to be kept in a chilled or frozen state along the entire supply chain. Failing to keep perishable food in the desired temperature range, because of insufficient refrigeration, can stimulate the growth of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms and render the product inedible.

Thus, the objective of refrigerating food products is to maintain quality and prolong shelf life by keeping the product temperature at the point where metabolic and microbial deterioration are minimized. Maintaining the desired or ideal holding temperature is a major factor in protecting perishable foods against quality loss during storage and distribution.

Therefore, cold storage warehouses and distribution centres are suddenly in high demand due to new food delivery services such as Peapod by Giant, Amazon Fresh and Blue Apron. This demand can grow to more than 13% over the next 5 years because of the penetration of the internet.

Therefore, when you have fruits and vegetables that need to be flash frozen and then transported across the country remember this is a major effort from all involved.

Masiziba Hadebe.

Rising Sea Levels What now SA? Rising sea levels is a global occurrence and is by and large triggered by human activity.

We hear a lot about the impact in low-laying areas (e.g. Asia), but what about us in South Africa?

It is a complex issue. The oceans have absorbed more than 90 percent of the heat from the greenhouse gases and that is the major part of the problem. In fact, 2018 set a new record for ocean heating.

Rising sea levels is one of the effect of climate change.

Because of this, when sea levels rise rapidly, a small increase can result in devastating effects on coastal habitats farther inland. Moreover, it can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil contamination with salt, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants.

Research has also found that higher sea levels are coinciding with hazardous hurricanes and typhoons that move more slowly and drop more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can strip away everything in their path.

The question now becomes critical: what can South Africa do about this? Although only the areas around Cape Town are in immediate danger, we cannot ignore the impact.

There are mainly three types of solutions to mitigate the challenges brought by the rising of sea levels. The most widely-discussed are coping solutions. These are focused on ‘protecting’ the areas. For instance, some coastal cities install drainage systems and building up seawalls. In other instances, island populations are moving.

In Boston developers are planning ahead. Skanska Commercial Development constructed an elliptical office tower designed to withstand fierce wind storms.

The building’s electrical infrastructure is located 40 feet above the 100-year floodplain.

It also has a 40,000-gallon water reclamation tank, and a raised ground floor.

Cape Town in particular is managing its present and future sea level rise. Over a period of almost 30 years, the rate of residential and commercial developments in Cape Town has doubled. However, as much as possible, it has taken into account the nearness of the oceans.

Rising Sea Levels On the other hand, these ‘coping’ solutions do not address the root cause of global warming. Additionally, these strategies raise concerns regarding the risk associated with infrastructure failure in the future and the maintenance costs once infrastructure is established.

For this reason, other countries are focused on the second type of solution, reducing future greenhouse gas emissions. This is done by switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy production.

Renewables include solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy sources. Additionally, there is implementation of carbon taxes to raise the cost of burning carbon. Carbon emissions trading rewards businesses that adhere to carbon caps.

The third solution is the most critical, but less widely discussed. Existing greenhouse gases must be removed from the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration captures and stores CO2 underground. To meet the Paris Agreement goal, 10 billion tons a year must be removed by 2050 and 100 billion tons by 2100.

In fact, one of the easiest solutions is to plant trees and other vegetation to halt deforestation. This is because currently the world’s 3 trillion trees store 400 gigatons of carbon.

Is it safe to say that there may be a need to go visit some of these coastal cities and its heritage sites before the sea covers it all?

Masiziba Hadebe.

m r a f n a e The oc We can plant on land, on gravel (soilless farming), your hydroponics and aquaponics, but the ocean; That is just extraordinary. So what is it all about?

With the water crisis looming we need to conserve potable water. But an ocean garden does not need to be watered after all, so there are attractive aspects to this.

We are also running out of arable land, so it all leads to one thought: we need a different approach to food security.

I am using kelp as an example of all the ocean garden options, and there are many plants we can utilise (surprise!)

Underwater farming or the ocean garden is not new. However, it has been focused on growing high-value, niche crop. For instance, edible Kelp is a breath-taking organism. It may be considered to just be algae, but it gives ocean life a unique identity, and has become an icon of marine conservation.

The oldest kelp recipe known is for the Japanese “kombu”, which is made from Japanese local kelp species, most similar to South Africa’s split-fan kelp.

The demand of the ‘algae’ Kelp amongst consumers

is not going to be a challenge. According to nutritionists, kelp is often considered a ‘superfood’ due to its significant mineral content of iodine (important for optimal thyroid function and metabolism).

Kelps, in terms of ocean gardening, is a crop that requires planting and harvesting, just like any other plant, but with very little work in between. Moreover, it needs no fertilizing, no weed control, no watering, and it has very few ‘enemies’ in the form of pests or disease.

However, ‘planting’ is quite an unmerited term for the production of kelps.

Kelps can disappear and reappear based on the oceanographic conditions and the population sizes of their primary herbivores.

Did you know?

Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that grows in “underwater forests” (kelp forests) in shallow oceans, The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between 6 and 14 °C They are known for their high growth rate and can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres Warmer than normal summers and seasonal changes to currents that bring fewer nutrients to kelp forests (both sometimes occurring naturally) combine to weaken kelps and threaten their survival.

n a e c o The

Destructive fis pollution, and by boat entan negatively affe management rine protected effective way t excessive use

However, like sunlight to ph ‘plants’, howev to extract nutr can extract the from the wate “root system” ing system kno

Kelp can be ha depending on required. The and on the en how the plant to be made is

n e d r n ga

shing practices, coastal d accidental damage caused nglement are known to ect kelp forests. Area based (e.g., designation of mad areas) is known to be an to protect kelp forests from or harm by people.

familiar plants, it requires hotosynthesise. Unlike ver, kelp does not use roots rients from the soil - kelp e needed nutrients directly er around it. So, instead of a it has a modified anchorown as a holdfast.

arvested in various ways, n what part of the plant is effect on the kelp plant nvironment depends on t is cut. The main distinction whether or not the plant is

killed by harvesting. If it is killed we call it ‘whole-plant harvesting’, but if only some of the frond material is cut, and the plant is left alive, we call it ‘frond-only harvesting’.

On the other hand, concerns about the ocean garden include whether a set-up like this would disrupt the local food infrastructure. Coastal communities often rely on fish not just as food for the family but as a source of income (selling the catch). One way to mitigate the concern is if the ocean garden respects local customs and is mindful of the condition of the ocean.

One thing is clear; we can grow plants underwater. We can get away from the water crisis and find a new way of ensuring food security.

By Masiziba Hadebe

Human capital behind the technology in agriculture Human capital is not how much money humans have, instead it is defined as the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or population, viewed in terms of their value or cost to an organization or country.

Ever since humans started to plant crops, the majority of ‘science’ and ‘technology’ has been around increasing crop yields.

Technology in agriculture is therefore a natural progression. The latest is robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The question is how does human experience and knowledge interact with technology?

A real-life example: irrigation probes. The main aim of the probes is to take the guesswork out of irrigation planning. The technology is very expensive, especially for an individual farmer, but it is claimed to be impossible to produce optimally without it, as it identifies and treats the cause of suboptimal irrigation as echoed by farmers.

Although the probes guarantee accuracy and reliability and are temperature-compensated - and aren’t affected by salinity, data is downloaded and processed by DFM Probe Schedule Software.

It sounds simple, but agricultural AI is immensely difficult from an IT perspective. ‘soil’ is not just soil. Micro-climate (localised winds within one square meter) can disrupt growth, etc. All of it increases the number of parameters incrementally. On top of, how to put ‘human knowledge and gut feel’ into an algorithm?

However, robotic technologies and AI will enable more reliable monitoring and management of natural resources, such as air and water quality. It also gives ‘producers’ greater control over plant and animal production, processing, distribution, and storage, which results in better efficiency of the farm.

But without the farmers understanding and being able to use the robotic technologies, they are not able to achieve what they want. Farmers must be highly skilled in using IT and AI in the future.

For this reason, I believe that a branch that will look into the relationship between human capital and technology in agriculture will be a necessity and the only way to increase agricultural output to the levels required to feed us all.

Masiziba Hadebe

s

Fact

d triple n o i uct the prod 2015 as l a r u nd om 3 ult Agric en 1960 a n grew fr io e betw s populat 7 billion ’ o world people t uce n o prod 0 billi o t d 05 ee will n food by 2 d l r o e The w cent mor r 50 pe

The One - M Refiloe Mar For our first ‘The One’ we spoke to Refiloe Marnes Mokonyama.

Q: Please tell us who Refiloe Marnes Mokonyama is?

A: I am a 17-year-old learner doing grade 12. I come from Limpopo in a village called Moletji Ga Semenya. I also go by the name of RAF because of my interest in financial accounting.

Q: What is the one thing you have learnt to hate and love as a high school learner?

A: that sometimes you have to suffer, reading and waking up at night to study, but then as they say, no pain, no gain. I also love the way me and my friends tease each other but in order to motivate ourselves and to remind ourselves about where we want to see ourselves.

Q: Speaking of where we want to see ‘ourselves’, where do you want to see yourself in the next coming years?

A: As a financial advisor. I am still planning to do it someday although I don’t have accounting and economics as a subject. This is because it was phased out at my school when I was in grade 11.

Q: Tell us about your community project you started last year?

A: I started a reading club, although we had difficulties with our teachers not committing to it at first, but we pushed and pushed until they helped us, and now we are 12-15 during every session across all grades in the school. Specifically, there was one session that I enjoyed, when we read Pride and Prejudice. It was weird reading it in a group, everyone sharing their view and finally and surprisingly relating it to certain parts of our life.

March 2020: rnes Mokonyama Q: What future do you see for your reading club: A: I want it to continue even when I leave, for us to get more books. And for it to continue helping those who come after me, and those who come after them and so on.

Q: Tell us about your other achievements: A: Being called to a provincial award ceremony for grade 11, and out of 200, achieving number 41 for my grade 11 results. This is taking into consideration that there were initially 10000 learners registered for Grade 11. I just could not believe it. I was so nervous. But most of all, I was proud of my school, which is under resourced having learners in the top 50.

Q: What is your motto in life?

A: No pain, no gain

Masiziba Hadebe

SA Government a to the tune The minister of Agriculture, land reform and rural development, Thoko Didiza has announced a relief grant for small-scale farmers who have a turnover of between R20,000 and R1 million annually.

However, Didiza said farmers must understand that the relief is not for the payment of debt. This is very interesting as debt is generally a challenge faced by farmers. But the minister clarified that this grant is aimed at the challenges farmers face specifically in food production.

Farmers have mentioned challenges faced, including the inability to pay labourers, transporting produce, not having permits of movement and accessing markets during the lockdown period. Some farmers have been hit hard by the pandemic.

“This intervention is excluding mechanisation, infrastructure and other overhead costs. This is not a comprehensive support but an intervention with regards to the challenge the country is facing.

Farmers going into production in summer 2020 will not be supported because they are not producing immediately” the minister further clarified.

To acknowledge the disparity faced by female farmers, youth in agriculture and people with disabilities, the minister mentioned that these groups will be prioritised. “We will target at least 50% of women in those who would have applied, 40% youth and people with disabilities at 6%.” Said the minister.

Minister

assisting farmers of R1,2 bn

r Didiza

The minister further explained that the relief would function as a grant and be distributed in the form of food vouchers. For instance, it has been reported that farmers in Mpumalanga that qualify for the grant will receive vouchers not exceeding R50 000 to alleviate the impact of COVID-19.

“The farmers are facing a big problem because if the workers are not working, they are not supposed to get paid. So these people will have a big problem in supporting their families and farmers are not able to take their produce to the market if the labourers are not working” said AgriSA coordinator (Mpumalanga) Jerry Mthombothi. This is true for producing seasonal crops and high value crops in the horticulture sector.

An unexpected challenge to the (small scale) farmers is that they must be able to prove that their turnover range is indeed between R20,000 and R1 Million. Farmers who produce but cannot account for it with proper financial statements or evidence will face a disadvantage.

South Africa is changing. A lasting benefit can be that all farmers must now implement proper accounting practices. …And that is rather good!

Masiziba Hadebe

Food irradiation is the process of exposing food and food packaging to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is from gamma rays, x-rays and electronic beams.

Now imagine all of that in your food or for your food. It is a common practice done in many countries and food processing institutions. The main reason for the practice is food preservation, prevention of food borne illnesses, control of insects and delay of sprouting (especially in potatoes) or ripening amongst many other reasons.

However, not all foods can be irradiated. Foods that have a high fat content such as full fat milk powder develop taints when irradiated.

Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind when mentioning food irradiation is safety. Some reports do suggest that irradiated foods are safe. For a specific example, food irradiation makes meat and poultry, which is one of the most consumed meat type

after pork, safer by reducing the numbers of harmful bacteria and parasites.

Further information on this does indicate that irradiated foods do lose nutrients but the nutrient loss is the same or less than the nutrients lost from cooking or freezing the food.

Even more, to answer this question one would have to refer to a structure or body responsible for regulating the use of irradiated foods.

Although irradiation does not result in the food being radioactive, it still does not ‘noticeably’ change the taste, texture or appearance of food. So many people might not even be aware of such practice.

In South Africa, Act 54 of 1972, labelling regulations state that irradiated food stuffs may not be sold without the permission of the Minister of Health or the Director General. In addition to this, irradiated food must also bear a label stating that the food has been irradiated.

Food irradiation has been examined thoroughly by joint committees of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Furthermore, since the process of ensuring that food irradiation does not present a health hazard and is of benefit to consumers (it is not inexpensive), competition in the market place will limit the use of the process to those occasions where the need is great.

All I can say is look out for the label.

Masiziba Hadebe

The one: Thulani Nkambule

Q: Who is Thulani ?

A: I am Thulani Nkambule, a 17 learner, also known as Mnentfu when translated to English mea I study at Sigane Secondary Sch Mpumalanga.

Q: What is your favourite part high school student?

A: The freedom to choose the s do according to my interest. Als that my friends and I get to act fun.

Q: Where do you want to see next coming years?

A: I want to be a teacher, a mat science teacher. I want to serve knowledge. I also want to be a the supermarket industry.

year old grade 11 u (Siswati ) which ans “my brother”. hool in Ngodini,

t about being a

subjects I want to so, I love the fact out stories just for yourself in the

th and physical and transfer businessman in

Q: Tell us about the initiatives you are involved in.

A: I am involved in many things. I will just name a few. Firstly, I am the chairperson of Radically Different Species, also known as RADS. My role is to ensure that us as a team set out to achieve what we said we want to achieve. This is including keeping the school clean and providing an extra pair of hands during school functions.

I am also the chairperson of Mahlase le Izazi, an organisation about drug and substance abuse education. We do community rounds around 3 times a year. We also use radio as an educational platform.

Q: What can you say to teenagers out there?

A: Everything has its own time, let us not jump into things.

Q: What do you do when you feel down or demotivated?

A: I sing. I sing gospel hymns to be more specific.

That lifts my spirits and it makes me feel okay.

Q: What is your motto in life?

A: The situation or challenge that you are facing now does not determine your destination. It is all part of the Journey that you have to embark on in order to become the person you are meant to be.

Masiziba Hadebe

5G in Agriculture The next revolution 5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.

So what role can it play in agriculture?

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts that in order to provide for the world’s rapidly rising population, the planet will need to grow 70% more food in 2050 than it did in 2009.

The food and Agricultural organization further mention that in order to respond to those demands, farmers will need new technologies to produce more from less land, with fewer hands.

That’s where automation comes in. 5G to be more specific. This is because 5G may revolutionize the farming industry, which has long been slow to adopt new innovations.

Imagine it: wireless sensors connected through 5G could monitor field conditions and detect when crops need watering, pesticides, or fertilizer, experts say. It could also help with tracking livestock and guiding agricultural drones and self-driving tractors.

Research analysts say 5G has the potential to have a transformative effect on the global economy through a number of different verticals, and farming certainly is one of the most prominent ones to consider.

The end result for agriculture, in theory, would be improved crop yields and higher-quality produce. But actually making the promise a reality is unlikely to be quick or easy.

Upgrading to 5G could increase the impact of the technology by improving connection speeds and allowing for devices to more effectively communicate. For example, it would allow farmers to install more sensors to track more data points and help them run their operations more effectively.

The big questions is over the impact 5G will have on agricultural jobs.

Unskilled labour could see the biggest impact, according to analysts.

In South Africa and the rest of the Sub-Saharan region, 5G implementation is still in the early development stages. But it is estimated that niche markets with healthcare, education, agriculture and automotive benefiting the most from the 5G.

By Masiziba Hadebe

The One:

Khauhelo (Coach) Maseello Masiziba spoke to the Vice chairperson of the organization.

Who is “Coach”?

I’m Khauhelo Maseello also known as “Coach”, a nickname I got from playing chess in grade 7. I am from North West, where my mom resides. I moved to Zastron, in the Free State when I was in Grade 4 to stay with my Grandmother.

Ever since, everything has been happening for me in Zastron.

Which organization are you part of?

I serve as the Vice chairperson of Hlokomelang Bana care centre.

Which mainly supports young people from child-headed households and those living with the elderly, for instance their Grandmother.

What significance does the Hlokomelang Bana have?

It shows the members that there is nothing stopping them from achieving their dreams. The projects they participate in are the ones that allow them to live above their circumstances and giving them the ability to achieve their dreams.

How do you help each other to achieve all the goals you set for Hlokomelang Bana?

From the fact that when Hlokomelang Bana started, there were only 12 members, now we have grown to 30 members. This shows that we are united in making sure that we achieve what we set out to do. If we face distance problems with others moving to other places. The Gap is closed with social media.

Even when one is not there, one fills in. Even

to the little things that emerge like toiletries, someone needing them.

Help is always there.

What projects have you done so far?

Firstly, the Garden project. We decided to make sure that every member has a garden in their household. They decide to eat the produce however they see fit as a family or sell it for profit. But we plant together. We even got sponsored with tools from good Samaritans.

The second project is team building. Where we learn about each other, our backgrounds and how to improve communication. This helps as it allows to be better versions of ourselves in a group.

Our third project is mainly focused on fundraising. We fundraise in two ways where we do a Car wash and clean classes. We use the money to buy toiletries for members and rotate between weeks. The remaining amount we put into savings.

What message do you have for the youth out there?

Be positive minded. Do not be afraid to offer or ask to for help from others.

What future do you see for Hlokomelang Bana?

Hlokomelang Bana will be a place that will always be there. It will have structure and we will always learn from all its up and downs.

There is a future.

By Masiziba Hadebe

Women in Agriculture: Neo Leburu We continue with the theme of remarkable women. This time we look at a tough and difficult job: farming.

When they say ‘future is female’, there are actually women leading the forefront and making ‘present is female’ in various industries. Neo Leburu is taking the agricultural sector by storm by quitting her day job to fully farm with goats.

She fell in love with goats when a doe (female goat) and two kids (literally the kids of the goat), were gifted to her mother. Since then she has never looked back and has chosen her love for goats over a job in the big city Johannesburg.

By profession, she is a qualified sound engineer with a diploma in administration. Even though she had the job, her love for farming was calling her back to her rural home in Ganyesa near Vryburg in the North West.

Leburu is an advocate for women, and she is keen on sharing information with others. “I do not have much but there are a lot of equally passionate young women out there whom I interact with on Facebook and they show a lot of interest in farming. They engage on the subject.

I am here for them and one day I will take many of them under my wings and empower them in all possible ways” Leburu said.

One of the other reasons why Neo Leburu is farming with goats is because the goat industry is thriving. As she puts it, she is happy at how her goats have multiplied over the years and continue to as she strives to get to that stage of a thriving goat farm.

Her intention and vision is to grow into a stud breeder dealing with specifically Boer Goats while at the same time selling the meat and other goat products.

However, she acknowledge that there are challenges with farming.

The cash flow is very important. In fact, she is running a takeaway and delivery food business to sustain her farm. Despite these challenges, Leburu affirms that she finds joy and self-fulfilment in the Kraal.

With this, her love for farming is expected to multiply and have a ripple effect on others as she not only aims to inspire, but to being an employer.

atso?f ino g hy urce

W re a great so

all a eir sm h t f o Goats r se haviou Becau come. ptive feed be goats a t, size, ad managemen mprov i w n o i l n d an ey ptio ow. Th iable o are a v ehold cash fl ce ur us ing ho a valuable so eat. o ym are als ilk and tast s of in m of rich so provide sk e and al nc Goats cial importa d crop r n e comm for gardens a e manur fields. e er Masiziba Hadebe. from h

Pharmaceuticals coming from plants and animals It is very interesting to know that some of the vaccines we use and medications we take are from plants and animals. That has been the practice for generations.

The question is, what is happening now? Especially where the plants are termed as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and animals being treated with antibiotics.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a new possibility of the production of vaccine antigens in genetically modified plants which can then be extracted and purified by conventional methods. All this is done in the lab.

Generally, there are three classical types of vaccine production methods: the egg-based vaccines, cell-based vaccines and directly from the source, e.g. a plant or an animal.

The most common example of eggbased vaccine is the influenza vaccine produced in 9-to-12-day-old embryonated eggs. This conventional method has been applied for over 60 years and it involves the injection of virus particles into the eggs and further incubation for several days to allow the replication of virus particles. In order to produce a vaccine, the antigen isolated from the purification process of the eggs containing vaccine virus would undergo additional procedures.

Wiki: Cell-based vaccines are developed from mammalian cell lines. The candidate vaccine virus strain will replicate using the mammalian cells. Next, the virus is extracted from the cells in the liquid culture, purified, then tested or modified for the specific vaccine being produced.

Cell-based antigen production may offer a faster and more stable production of vaccines compared to embryonic chicken eggs, which produce 1-2 vaccine doses per chicken egg.

Medication originating from animals and plants are termed Crude Drugs as they are derived from the natural sources e.g. from plants, minerals and animals.

One popular example is aspirin. Aspirin is created in a lab from the naturally occurring polyphenol salicylic acid — a compound found in plants including white willow, wintergreens and birch.

Three out of four common medications include animal-derived ingredients, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.

These methods are all well-tested and known.

They produce and are generally safe bets.

The future may be artificially created DNA and RNA coded for specific reactions, but that will be for another time.

It is clear however that plants and animals are essential in medication and vaccination plans. This has left me with a lot of questions. What does this mean for vegetarians and more interestingly for food security (using up all the eggs as an example)?

Masiziba Hadebe

How Covid-19 has changed how I pursue my education Pre Covid-19, my education entailed entirely going to varsity and having face to face contact sessions from Monday to Friday. Then having the ability to go out with friends without worrying about the implications of such activities.

Now that has changed, with various measures being taken to limit the spread of the virus thus leading to a new normal in my varsity life. Online classes, and all round sanitizers around me. I have learnt to adapt and take it as it comes.

But before this huge transformation, schools and universities were closed. With little preparations for a pandemic. We all left our dorm rooms with the hope that this is just a ‘flu’, little did we know that it would only take us so long. The university introduced a fully fleshed e-learning curriculum to help us study while at home.

A new experience for us all. We now had to juggle chores with varsity work. Mind you, we were used to juggling our independent college life with our studies.

We were introduced to new platforms and technology immediately became a medium of exchange. Literally.

The lingo became so familiar that our lecturers would be mentioning how we need to sign the e-register and attend webinars.

Tests and Assessments all went online. A new experience for us all. We would be timed as normal and we would have to study as per requirement of the course.

Of course, there were challenges here and there with access to the applicable technology, network problems and of course some disturbances at home. Personally, I struggled with network connectivity, which meant I had to miss activities on somedays.

But I pushed and worked hard and learnt to adapt. It also meant I had to learn how to use the online tools that were the only option for me to pursue my education.

These tools were already existing and are often termed as the ‘distance learning approach’ but were not extensively used as they have been during this pandemic.

Moreover, because the pandemic has not ended, I am constantly adapting to this e-learning approach.

Currently, students are slowly returning to campuses and with this, I am learning a lot about the new normal in education and taking it as it comes.

Masiziba Hadebe

What to tell my childre

How COVID-19 transfo

The year 2020 will be the climax for many story tellers. In particular, for us who are interested in telling our descendants what really happened especially with strong reference to our experiences. Now, in my previous article I mentioned that the higher education sector was transformed due to COVID-19.

My research has discovered that the e-learning approach has resulted in the dynamic change within the education sector and reinforcing other aspects of the country. If you consider the inequality that is prevalent in South Africa, e-learning becomes complex, in terms of access and opportunity.

To measure inequality, Economists use the Gini coefficient.

South Africa has one of the highest inequality rates in the world, with a Gini coefficient of 67.8 in 2015 (Denmark’s is 27.5). As it is well documented, Education remains one of the tools to ensure that inequality is solved.

However, with the e-learning process, many people have been excluded because of inequality. To give you a practical example, I had an e-tutor class and most people struggled to join mainly because they had no access or were in areas that were completely underdeveloped. What does this mean?

The aspects that were out of their hands suddenly hindered their ability to participate in the education system. As mentioned in the previous

en 30 years from now:

ormed higher education

article, although scientists had predicted some sort of pandemic (not one to this extent), universities were minimally prepared.

Because, in all honesty, when we signed up for the long distance approach preCOVID-19, it was based on the fact that we knew what we were signing up for: We had to have good network coverage/ data, access to the laptop, valid courier address etc. The latter, however, has resulted in other students who were already well on the way to be thrust into a situation where they had no access.

Of course, Universities and the Department of Higher Education had to adapt and acknowledge the existence of such students.

Not everything was as easy as saying ‘the long-distance approach’.

Internet data bundles had to be provided to these students. Laptops had to be provided. Telephonic assistance had to be integrated into the learning process. All because not everyone could have access to all the tools required.

All of this also calls for student financing institutions to look into their financing models in order to provide students with what they need to be successful.

What to tell - 30 years from now (continued)

In essence, we were the first ones to experience e-learning. We had to all of a sudden rely on it especially if we were eager to acquire the qualifications we needed.

conditions we were finding ourselves in.

It was a new process that opened us up to using specific programs and understanding the need for technology to proceed with our academic lives. In addition, it meant using these tools to excel and survive against the unfavourable

Besides being part of the group that was only allowed social interaction in class Pre-Covid-19, we became the students that raised our hands in a classroom with an icon Post Covid-19.

Sending a message in a chat box to the lecturer and literally being in the same WhatsApp group with the lecturer. We were the first generation to be given the platform to hide behind our screens and for some, this meant opening up. While for others, it meant more screen time.

We became the students that needed to rest our eyes, buy more expensive data, gain more soft skills and set alarms for class in our sitting room.

We became part of a time where the technology that was considered a want suddenly became a necessity. If you had no access to technology, it meant you had higher chances of dropping out.

Masiziba Hadebe

Bamboo in Africa Are bamboo plants a significant part of the bioeconomy?

A bioeconomy as defined by EU, comprises of those parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources from land and sea – such as crops, forest, animals, and micro-organisms – to produce food, materials and energy.

It is clear that from this definition that plants are included. To be more particular, the bamboo plant is popularly referenced. In fact, Bamboo is a name for over 1,400 species of giant grasses in 115 different genera. All bamboos have wood-like stems. Bamboo can grow anywhere. And that is where the challenges are.

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, which can be up to 1 m in a day. However, the growth rate is dependent on local soil and climatic conditions, as well as species. A more typical growth rate for many commonly cultivated bamboos in temperate climates is in the range of 3–10 centimetres per day during the growing period.

With this information, an initiative called AFR-100 spearheaded and led

by African Nations aims to use Bamboo plants to achieve landscape restoration. Reason being that the integration of bamboo plants in these degraded lands is expected to be a tool for positive economic development while reversing environmental degradation and climate change across the continent.

Although bamboos are successful in reversing environmental

a: weed or savior? degradation, some species show an invasive behaviour. When bamboos become dominant, they outcompete other plant species, particularly trees, decreasing its density and species diversity.

ring native tree saplings.

With the AFR-100 initiative, there is little information on what exact species of the Bamboo will be used. If so, is that species invasive on African climate and local soil conditions? This is important to know because in degraded forests with relatively low tree canopy cover, bamboos rapidly colonize open areas and limit co-occur-

Although the land area occupied by bamboo has increased significantly over the last two decades, bamboo is still cultivated in many countries and remains a forest resource that serves as an excellent substitute for timber products and provides a multitude of food and non-food uses, hence forming an integral part of the bioeconomy.

This societal and economic significance has led to increased bamboo cultivation globally.

However, there is significant evidence of the rapid expansion of bamboo hectarage, both intentional and by encroachment, in native and non-native countries which has to be taken into account when introducing it for reversal environmental degradation.

Pros and cons it is called!

Masiziba Hadebe

Bamboo beneficial or maybe not In the previous article, we determined that African governments are using Bamboo plants to foster the reversal of Environmental damage. In this article we look into the uses and look at whether some of the uses of the plant are beneficial or not. Keeping in mind that the bamboo plant is one of the most versatile plants on earth.

Firstly, the bamboo plant can be used as food.

There are handful species of Bamboo that are edible for humans. This is with reference to the sprouts and the shoots. These sprouts and shoots are known for their impact on weight loss, balanced cholesterol and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, they are said to contain high amounts of vitamins and fibre.

Of course, this can be beneficial to all populations. If we look at any good Chinese shop, we will see plenty of bamboo in jars or tins. It is an integral part of a lot of dishes.

The second most popular use of Bamboo is Construction. This is because bamboo plants possess strength coupled with lightweight characteristics. The plants are used as a source for building bridges, houses, scaffolding and floors. Furthermore, due to the

plant’s flexibility, it can be bent, split or shaped according to needs. Of course, the plant material has to be treated in order for it to be used as construction material to avoid rot and insects.

Does this prove beneficial? Well, it too depends on the context. Does the nation really need to build a lot of buildings or not? Is the construction process of using bamboo plant really sustainable?

Lastly, the Bamboo plant is used as a source of fuel and in textiles. Using bamboo as a fuel has proven to support local economies in less developed countries. When the plant is used as fuel, it results in less eco-cost than hardwood and results in a higher yield of biofuel. In the textile industry, the plant is used for clothing, cloths and yarn. However, in the textile industry, the use of the plant has resulted in controversy. Especially since the process was found to be toxic and releasing pollutants in the air.

Bamboo is versatile, but it is not a ‘silver bullet’ for anything. The beneficial aspects must be weighted against the draw-backs. And that is also a political process.

Masiziba Hadebe

Can good food combat Do we find ‘fight-back food’?

During this time, when someone mentions a virus, COVID-19 is the first thing on anyone’s mind. However for this article, I’ll be focusing on generally how food can combat a virus or bacteria, and how by eating well you are assisting your body.

Note as well: Good nutrition is not a substitute for common sense and vaccine interventions, etc.

There are foods that fight back, in turn helping your body to fight back. Any foods that fight back are called immune boosters. In fact, immune boosting is the main role played by these foods in combatting a virus.

Firstly, some types of seafood offer immune-boosting omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids found in some types of fish — such as salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel — help enhance the functioning of ‘fight back’ cells.

Healthy proteins bolster disease-fighting white blood cells. The key

t a virus or bacteria? word being healthy. These types of foods include items like oysters, poultry, seafood, beef, and lamb. Zinc is a mineral abundant in these types of foods. Zinc is a part of strengthening the immune system.

This is the one I like: chocolate is also a food that can help your body combat a virus. Research has found that dark chocolate’s magnesium may strengthen antibodies to fend off diseases, including a virus. Just keep in mind it’s a treat — so indulging in moderation is crucial.

Another category of food that serves as immune booster consists of citrus and leafy greens. These types of food provide Vitamin C, a key nutrient for good immunity. In fact, vitamin C may help protect the body against oxidative stress, and that helps support immune function.

Now comes nuts and seeds. These type of foods Supply immunity-supportive vitamin E, Selenium, and Magnesium. In addition, another category of food that are considered to contain antiviral properties is garlic and onions. Garlic gets that distinctive smell from sulphur compounds.

Whether you love the aroma or not, it offers protective benefits to your health and immune response. When garlic is crushed or chopped, it produces allicin, which research has recommended for its antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Across the same spectrum, onions have a substance called quercetin which may help regulate histamine response and contains antiviral properties.

Fight-back food Yogurt is our last addition here.

Yogurt aids gut health, which may positively affect immunity. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, the good bacteria that support gut health.

This is important as a huge proportion of the immune system is actually in the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, research has found that eating yogurt daily can improve immune function because it increases the body’s production of antibodies that fight off viruses.

However, it is also recommended to avoid added sugar, choose plain, unsweetened yogurt.

From this not so exhaustive list and categories of food, it is clear that food does play an important role in combatting a virus and will continue to do so in the future. Thus, it becomes up to you to eat the food that helps your body combat a virus.

Food is assisting the body. The body is the first line of defence against bacteria nd virus.

All said, there are good virus and bad virus. We see good bacteria and bad ones. We could not survive in a virus-free environment.

The trick is to figure out what is what!

Masiziba Hadebe

Master’s: Re Master’s degree: the titbits I’ve picked up thus far.

At age 21, I am taking on another challenge: A Master’s degree.

I am currently doing my MSc in Agricultural Economics focusing on Bio-economic optimisation of surface water and shallow groundwater in irrigation agriculture.

Yes, that might sound like a mouthful, but that’s what a Masters is really about. Immersing yourself in subject knowledge so that after the degree, you could be a ‘Master’. That is the end goal.

The journey however is a double edged sword. What do I mean by that? There is both happy and hectic times. Note: I use the word hectic because I am not necessarily implying bad times but referring to the time where you feel tested and it seems like you are colliding head on with a brick wall.

The good thing is that unlike undergraduate studies, I don’t have to attend classes and write tests. For the purpose of this article, I will refer to the undergraduate activities above as ‘studying’.

Studying does not allow you the freedom to critique and challenge what you are being taught. You are taught and you have to absorb the content. However, in very small instances, this can be a disadvantage.

Ever came across something that you did not agree with but

eal science were taught in school? In addition, for the sake of the exam and test, you had to take it from that perspective you did not agree with because you were not given the opportunity to ‘seek’ evidence to support your perspective? That’s how I describe studying.

With a Master’s degree however, I am given the opportunity to read on all the available content and find reasons to argue the content in the subject matter. If I disagree with an aspect, I can work on it and investigate further.

Thus the key words for Master’s degree activities are: argue, investigate and read. The collective term for the activities I referred to in a Masters will be ‘research’. This is the best part about a Master’s degree.

In addition, the Master’s degree allows you to apply and build on what you learnt in undergraduate studies. Expanding on concepts, verify and validate methods and conclusions made on certain studies to even introducing new ways to solve the same or new problems.

I would thus recommend pursuing a master’s degree.

Of course, to successfully pursue a master’s degree, you need to meet all the internal and external requirements in the institution of choice and must have secured funding to undertake the research.

Masiziba Hadebe

Bamboo in Africa Africa has the largest untapped tropical bamboo forests: 1.5 – 3 million ha. Other reports indicate that the new economic force of ‘Bamboos’ on the continent is generating massive income, creating jobs and protecting the environment.

The following is gleaned from many sources, the main one being here: So far 18 African countries with natural bamboo have joined the International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), which is assisting them with bamboo information, technology transfer, capacity building and policy formulation.

According to INBAR, as the population in Africa increases, the massive harvesting of firewood and charcoal will be unsustainable.

Bamboo is an alternative to burning tree-based woods for cooking purposes. As bamboo can quickly grow back, bamboo will combat deforestation, soil erosion and impacts of climate change.

However, Energy use and development in Africa varies widely across the

continent, with some African countries exporting energy while others lack even basic infrastructures or systems to acquire energy.

On the other hand, The World Bank has declared 32 of the 48 nations on the African continent to be in an energy crisis. This translates to Bamboo’s potential as an energy source in Africa being large.

Is it all great then? Well, Bamboo is a ‘thirsty’ thing. Excessive amounts of bamboo forest will impact on the ground water and the water table in the region. If the water table gets lowered, other plants might suffer (wheat, potatoes, etc). We have to balance the needs with the available water resources.

On the economic specfarming has the posands of jobs, since Bamboo plants maintained and In Ghana, about employed when project was The bamboo some $60 bn down-stream industhis number.

trum, commercial bamboo tential to create thouit is labour intensive. are typically planted, harvested by hand.

1,500 people were a commercial initiated. industry is worth globally but the try should be added to

However, the role of technology in commercial bamboo is not well documented. Little information on the potential of this aspect in the commercial setting may make this statement temporal and likely to change as time moves on.

Although bamboo can grow nearly anywhere, areas in the likes of KZN would be prime areas. However, that is where we also see sugar cane growing. And sugar cane is just as thirsty.

Can a balance be achieved?

Masiziba Hadebe

The Facts Who is INBAR?

n (INBAR) d Rattan Organisatio an o bo m Ba l na n, with io The Internat nmental organisatio er ov rg te in an as d users of was founded in 1997 eing of producers an lb el w e th e ov pr a mission to “im [..]. bamboo and rattan e UN Susthe framework of th in ith w ks or w R o for BA Currently, IN g the use of bambo in ot om pr ls, oa G t d en ental protection an tainable Developm nm ro vi en n, io at vi rty alle goals including pove gation. climate change miti r sation of 47 Membe ni ga or t en pm lo ve al de pected, all INBAR is a multilater o and rattan. As ex bo m ba of n io ot e majority of memStates for the prom th , er ev ow H . rs be are mem is a member.

East Asia countries Even Canada (yes!) a. ric Af m fro w no bers are

Sugar Can

Sugar cane is also a

or

e

grass!

SA produces some 20 milli on tons of sugar per y ear. 75% is exp orted and brings in revenue.

SA is one of th e top produce rs and exporters and the cane indu stry employs thou sands of peop le.

Thread carefully!

Masiziba: Why I chose A Food is life. It is a need and a necessity. Every day, we have to eat to survive. That is Agriculture. But why I chose this field of study is more of a personal story and I did not realise (until later) that it was always my childhood dream and passion.

My grandparents from both sides of the family were farmers. In every right. They possessed the knowledge of farming and innovated using limited resources to feed their families. This is often termed as subsistence farming. They passed on the knowledge to their children who passed it on to their children and that is where I was introduced to agriculture.

At a very young age, I used to feed the chickens before going to school, count the eggs every time I came back and made sure that the chickens were all ‘okay’.

Then on some days, I would be designated to goats, the garden etc. Each day, I was grasping the preparation, planning and knowledge in addition to falling in love with the process. However, I saw gaps. Gaps I knew I could fill even though I was not sure how exactly.

When the time came to choose careers in high school, we were all attracted to different careers. For the wrong reasons, we focused on the ‘average’ salary in the field of study. Made our ‘popular’ decisions on only that. Not realising what we loved, and what aligned with our abilities.

After some confusion, I was introduced to Agricultural Economics. I knew this is who I am. It spoke of market access, how food

Agricultural Science moves from farm to plate, policy and more importantly; food security. It hit home. Agricultural Economics became the tool I would use to fill the gaps that I had witnessed as a child. I decided then and there that this is what I am going to do. Interestingly, beside the passion, my abilities aligned with the choice.

Looking back, I do not regret making the choice. After a few degrees and projects, I am proud to say Agriculture is where I am called to be.

Masiziba Hadebe Did you know? Masiziba is a genius Look here: In 2020, Hollard Insure joined forces with Farmingportal.co.za and Agri News Net to present the Young Agri Writers competition, to encourage fresh, young media voices in the agricultural space.

Who was the winner: Our own Masiziba!

Her article was Ocean Farms, first published in Hola MaHigh-School!

And that put R6,000 in her pocket as well!

Genius she is!

A student experience I only went on one open day during grade 10 and that was to a FET college. Interestingly, I was not aware that the day when the college opened its doors for us was an ‘open day’.

The day was filled with activities to introduce us to the courses offered and show us around the college. We met the lecturers, some of the students and got cool prizes that were coupled with a prospectus and registration information. All the information left us in awe and in inspiration of what we could be.

However, it is important to note that we went physically to the campus because the college was nearby. We could not go to other universities because they were far and could be very costly. But of course, the COVIDera has showed us that we can go virtual (virtual open days). Eliminating distance barriers in an instant and broadening our choice of colleges and universities we can go to.

As an alternative, my high school had brought the varsity to us by calling students from various institutions around the country to tell us how varsity is and what we can expect. The students brought their respective prospectus in order to give information

on the choices we could make and sharing their varsity stories with us. It was as if they were bringing the ‘open day’ to us.

In all those instances, I realised that open days are very important mainly because they open your eyes to opportunity. They provide information on career choice and what you need to do and have in order to reach a certain career destination (requirements).

Additionally, the open days also expose you to potential bursaries and scholarships that you may have not heard of in mainstream media. Especially if one were to consider that each university can develop its own relationship with funders and that is why you will see some of the bursaries stating which college or university you can specifically go study at.

Moreover, open days show the life that you will be expected to live on campus. This is through exposing you to extra-curricular activities and sporting activities. Furthermore, introduce you to potential accommodation and what kind of life to expect in that aspect.

Masiziba Hadebe

Mining and Water we need both!

How mining affects water and the water table.

Firstly, let us establish that water is an important resource while also acknowledging that mining (gold, Platinum or Coal) creates jobs in their thousands. Conserving water and creating jobs is a balance that South Africa must face as water becomes scarce.

Let us quickly do facts: water can be obtained from rivers, lakes, dams and underground deposits. We know Vaal Dam, Fish River and the Lesotho Highlands. Ground water is where the problem is. The depth of the ground water is the water table (simplified!).

The lower the water table, the more costly it is to get to the water (wells and so on). And worse: the water may no longer be available as the deposits have been exhausted.

Here are aspects to consider: gold mines alone use large volumes of water as a multi-purpose agent, from cooling of the mine to water-powered machinery. A mine shaft (and mine tunnels) will typically go through the water table and that means water will flood the mine unless it is pumped out.

So not only does a mine need a lot of water, it also ‘produces’ a lot of water.

However, All of this has a detrimental effect on the water and the water table even if the mines

recycle the water. This is because the large volumes of water produced from mine drainage, mine cooling, aqueous extraction and other mining processes increases the potential for chemicals to contaminate surface and ground water.

In terms of surface water, materials left over by the mining process can easily seep down to the ground water, leading to increased acidity and heavy metal contamination rendering water undrinkable.

Then when it comes to the water table, the literal digging and pumping that occurs in mining can extend below to the water table resulting in so much water inflow into the mine that the water table is lowered.

As water is getting more and more scarce thanks to climate change, we need to realise that this resource can be exhausted. It is not enough to just have water if the water is too polluted to use for consumption. If this is combined with scarcity of water (due to heavy usage of water to begin with), we have another ‘Houston, we have a problem’ situation.

Ground water must be ‘treated’ before it can be used for consumption, removing heavy metal pollution sulphur and other chemicals.

It means that water pumped out of a mine cannot be consumed or discarded without treatment.

... and more water Can we achieve the balance between water consumption and jobs?

Of course, now that we have summed up the effects of mining (mind you, the list is not exhaustible) on the water table, there are few practices that are put forward in mining in order to mitigate some of the negative effects. The general term now is ‘green mining’.

There are solutions for protecting the ground water.

Extraction of heavy-metals and neutralising acid mine water is possible, but at a cost. The common solutions are usage of lime, caustic soda, limestone etc. But it is all chemical and it takes equipment and space to do.

The new techniques may also encompass bacteria and plants. This is new! It is now possible to ‘clean’ water via natural processes, but there is still a long way to go.

Green mining needs to be further defined and environmental studies are required before we can achieve the balance between water and jobs in order to conserve an important, already scarce resource: water

Masiziba Hadebe

Mother tongue in higher education One’s Home language (mother-tongue) is a complex topic in South Africa. The question of mother-tongue in education therefore also remains a complex and sometimes contentious topic.

But how far are we in getting an education that is completely in our home language?

First, let us get some context. South Africa has 11 official languages.

The fact is that English is a global language. Research is predominantly in English.

South Africa is slightly unique as Afrikaans was attempted to become the de facto language in South Africa. (medium of instruction in schools, causing the 1976 uprisings). This also ran into the problem of today: How to translate English (global) terms into Afrikaans?

If Afrikaans is your home language, you can get a higher education that is completely in Afrikaans, especially with the launch of the Solidarity’s Sol-Tech College.

Additionally, if we benchmark the educational vocabulary of South African home languages against English, Afrikaans is fairly leading because of the presence the language has had in higher education while other African languages are lacking behind. Even so, look at the pic.

Where did ‘memorandums’ and ‘video’ come from?

To illustrate this, Dimpho Mankabane (22) from Modimong in the North West participated in the Oxford Living dictionaries in 2019 while doing her final year in Genetics and Microbiology. As part of the programme, Mankabane took it upon herself to translate scientific terms such as amino acid, transcription DNA into her home language (Setswana) since they did not exist.

Mankabane mentions that the whole idea of study in our home language is a bit impractical at the moment, especially translating technical terms because all the words used in higher education (specifically science) are abstract and cannot easily be translated into other languages, let alone our respective home languages.

When asked if she would consider doing a degree in Setswana now, Mankabane replied “Already as it is, translating words to Setswana was difficult and very tricky due to the ambiguity that could exist. Therefore I would prefer to do any degree in English. I am not a pessimist or anything, but currently English makes things easy, whereas my home language might be complicated” However, Mankabane affirms that strides need to be made in introducing our mother tongues in higher education in order to acknowledge those before us and helping those who come after us to be proud of who they are.

Masiziba Hadebe

Covid-19 Adaptation in higher education: My perspective The Covid-19 pandemic is what I call unchartered waters. Every day is a learning curve, nothing is certain as to what will happen tomorrow. That is a challenge for all industries including the higher education sector.

Therefore, adapting is also a gradual process within the sector.

When considering that higher education is divided into two main groups: staff and students, the pandemic therefore affects both these sides. Across the country, university/college management has had to come up with interventions for both these groups in order to ensure that infections remain as low as possible.

With regards to staff (both academic and support), they have had to adapt to working from home with certain groups prioritised over others.

E-Learning or online learning is also a tool that many universities/colleges are adopting therefore encouraging staff to make use of it as much as possible.

However, there are some discrepancies with rolling out ‘e-learning’ in some universities/

colleges resulting in extensions of semesters and year plans of the institutions and essentially affecting working days too.

In addition, for those prioritising face to face sessions or classes, staff have had to deliver classes in more than one venue and time, resulting in them requiring more assistance in cases of invigilation of tests and practicals. Therefore requiring them to adapt to teaching methods that are different from what they are used to.

On the other hand, students have had to adapt in their own way as well. E-learning is the core of it all. It was like the coin was flipped. Computer literacy becomes essential, writing the email becomes essential because one can no longer pitch up to the lecturer’s office randomly.

Additionally, access to the one to study also importance. Howof students are can essentially for face to face groups, however, strict rules such as times and maintaining sopenalties such as fines to name a few.

devices that will enable become of outmost ever, other groups prioritised and come to campus classes. These have to adhere to wearing masks at all cial distance or else will face

In general, higher institutions adapt and make decisions based on unfolding information and reasonably so because the pandemic is unchartered and needs adaptation from all stakeholders. I do not remember the last time I went to campus not wearing a mask or having my temperature taken or having to do a screening questionnaire.

Eish, the new normal is tough

Masiziba Hadebe

I have been pandering at the notion of no water and it being out of the equation of life. What then do we use? By merely posing the question to scientists, I am shattering the very existence of water in every equation of life. Therefore, I rephrase and ask; is water necessary for life? Let us explore.

Water is everywhere, in the form of streams, oceans and even in the process of evaporation from the soil to transpiration in the plant leaves. In basic terms, all life, whether plant or animal, is centred on water. Humans are encouraged to drink water and drought (for both animals and plants) is a gruesome experience and we want to avoid and minimise the occurrence of such because water is ‘life’.

As a general rule of thumb, a person can survive without water for about 3 days. In addition, almost every package of food, cosmetic product has water listed on the nutritional requirements. One cannot even imagine to make coffee or Tea without water.

But does that define life?

Life is defined as the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death. Water is for sure involved in growth, reproduction and functional activity and continual change but is it the ultimatum? I seem to find no answer to that and that is where the problem is.

Water is increasingly being scarce, polluted or just salty, and because of this we may need to find an alternative very soon.

We need not to look into how we can save water for future generations only, but find out what can be used in the case of a drought or in order to ensure growth occurs in animals and plants for instance. Interestingly, there are few examples of strides being made to find an alternative for water.

To illustrate, Ludwick Marishane developed a product, called DryBath, which is a clear germicidal and moisturising gel that is applied to skin in the manner of waterless hand cleaners and does the work of water and soap.

It earned Marishane the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In a different planet context, an experiment, called Labeled Release (LR), was designed to test Martian soil for organic matter (soil from Mars).

NASA concluded that the LR had found a substance mimicking life, but not life.

These strides question if water is really necessary for life.

Heading courtesy of Sci-Show

Masiziba Hadebe

Why a career in Agric Science may be an option There are numerous fields one can choose from when considering a career. A career in the very broad Agricultural sector is one that is not only appealing but in fact needed in the world. Let us explore why.

Firstly, agriculture-driven growth, poverty reduction, and food security are at risk all because of climate change. Climate change could cut crop yields, especially in the world’s most food-insecure regions resulting in people going hungry.

However, this can be mitigated by professionals within the agricultural science sector resulting in guaranteed opportunities for them.

To illustrate, agriculture an important world. This much as we climate change in the Agriculis also responsible change. After all, agland use change are respongreenhouse gas emissions.

climate smart is becoming concept in the is because as want to say causes problems ture, the sector for causing climate riculture, forestry and sible for about 25 percent of

Climate smart agriculture addresses how to manage agricultural sys-

tems to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population while both building resiliency to climate change and using agriculture as a solution to our climate crisis. The three main objective of climate smart agriculture are to increase agricultural productivity and incomes, adapt to and build resiliency to climate change; and finally, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Besides guaranteed opportunities in the sector, a career in agriculture might be appealing because most people do not consider agriculture as a modern or advanced business but the technology in this division is actually surprisingly advanced. Millions of farmers use software and even modern apps to boost productivity, to market more effectively, to solve communication problems and for general business management.

In other words, the agricultural sector is one of the sectors that increase productivity using technology. Mbali Nwoko, a crop farmer on living land once said that even though technology in the agricultural sector makes some jobs absolute, it creates jobs somewhere else in the value chain. That is why the sector will always advance.

As icing on the cake, income or earning potential in the sector is relatively good for the especially in demand careers such as Agricultural Engineers, Veterinary practitioners etc. However, one thing is for sure, the agricultural science field has advanced in so many ways that numerous opportunities have sprouted over time making it more appealing while ensuring that solutions to our biggest problems are provided.

Masiziba Hadebe

Does Climate change have a silver lining?

Climate change is a term that is on everybody’s tongue. However, is there some hope or some sort of silver lining with regards to the phenomenon? To understand this, we have to go back in time.

Climate change is not new, but it is new that it is now not due to natural causes, but because of human activity. Let us look at one recent change: “A Year Without a Summer”.

The year 1816 was literally a year without a summer across much of the Northern Hemisphere, throughout not only North America but also Northern Europe and parts of Asia. The extension of cold weather proved to be detrimental with crippled food production, crop failures and food shortages and looting became prominent in that time. The cause? The massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in April in Indonesia which spewed out tons and tons of Sulphur and ash.

However, if one looks properly at the year with no summer, we would see that it was not the first time it could have happened. In fact, scientists seem to agree that human-induced climate change began in the early 1800s and is not a new process.

On the other hand, the scientists seem to agree that the earth’s climate has changed naturally over the past 650,000 years, moving in and out of ice ages and warm periods.

As it is clear that the climate has been changing for thousands of years, there must have been some adaptations along the way. Interestingly, there are some examples to cite, showing that climate change may not be all doom and gloom.

To illustrate, findings by a research study by the Washington University indicate that plants with some types of responses, like making their leaves thicker, will ultimately grow better in tropical forests than their competitors.

In other words, thicker-leaved tropical plants may flourish under climate change with rising temperatures, which could be good news for us all.

However, scientists within the study agree that there is a lot more research that can be done to show how various plants are responding and adapting to climate change.

A Separate research led by Stanford University found how some corals can quickly switch on or off certain genes in order to survive in warmer-than-average tidal waters.

The research team discovered corals can adjust their internal functions to tolerate hot water 50 times faster than they would adapt through evolutionary change alone.

Scientist from the University of California studied alpine chipmunks living in Yosemite National Park and found that over 100 years the animals have moved to higher altitudes as the average temperature of the park has risen by 3°C. A 2011 review of data on hundreds of moving species found an average shift to higher altitudes of 36 feet (11 metres) per decade and an average shift to higher latitudes of about 10.5 miles (17 km) per decade.

These are but limited examples (in other words the list is not exhaustible) of the adaptation of nature to climate change.

Adaptation is possible because climate change is a phenomenon that is occurring at all times.

Even a year with no summer shows that animals and plants have been adapting.

Therefore, as much as climate change proves to be detrimental, the phenomenon has a silver lining.

Masiziba Hadebe

Acquiring a bursary? Is it easy or difficult: My perspective.

Studying is very expensive. This is well known and not everyone gets through varsity without some help. In fact, university costs are estimated to rise to R107, 600 by 2025 and as much as R165, 600 by 2030. That is a lot, so a bursary might come in handy!

Bursaries, however, are no longer just a financial support program, but have expanded into holistic student support in order to ensure your student success. Therefore, one can no longer only look into bursaries for financial support, but for a community in which you can grow emotionally as well.

So how do you acquire one?

Firstly, seek them. As they say: “Seek and you shall find”. Be always on the lookout. Ask your teachers if they know of any bursaries for what you want to study. Do this from Grade 10 and Grade 11 because some bursaries recruit earlier and want students to be ready. So be on the lookout, set those google alerts. So that you can have options.

Secondly, once you have identified the bursaries, look out for the requirements. What kind of student do they want and even more importantly, where (which institution) do they want you. Paying attention to the requirements will make the application easier for you and the potential

funders. Some bursaries want you to have applied at certain higher institutions while others want your family to be in a certain income bracket, while some are interested purely in merit.

After you have identified the requirements, do what is needed.

Do they want you to submit online? Always try to practically do what they need you to do. Also remember to always align your documents with what they want. If they want all documents in PDF, do that and submit all the documents in the format they require.

Take note of the closing date and submission method. When the closing date is stipulated, please follow it as it is. Do not attempt to submit after the closing date because the application will not be rendered successful. If they say via email/link, at least you know you can submit on the day, however, should they want post or courier, please remember to complete your applications way ahead of time in order for the documents to arrive on time.

Bursaries are available to you, grab the opportunity and there might be some luck if you prepare. As they say “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation”.

Masiziba Hadebe

The New Climate report: is it doom?

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report was released indicating our status on climate change and it is making some lengthy and terrifying statements. However, is it doom and gloom? Let us explore. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

As always, human activities are the center of climate change. The report highlights the human activity aspect in depth. To illustrate, the report found that the observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities. Land and ocean have taken up about 56% per year of CO2 emissions from human activities over the past six decades.

In addition, cities contribute to the human-induced warming locally, and further urbanization together with more frequent hot extremes will increase the severity of heatwaves (very high confidence In coastal cities), the combination of more frequent extreme sea level events (due to

sea level rise and storm surge) and extreme rainfall/river flow events will make flooding more probable.

In other words, the report is informing us that heatwaves, floods and other usually abnormal natural disasters may be a norm.

That is terrifying, and unfortunately this has been due to the increase in human activities that continue plugging GHG’s into our planet’s atmosphere. In addition, this could make some of the places on this planet completely inhabitable and not even visitable.

So can we remedy such a situation?

Besides halting all human activities (a situation we saw during the hard lockdowns of the pandemic where the economy was practically in ICU), there are ways we can act on climate change.

According to the report, if global net negative CO2 emissions were to be achieved and be sustained, the global CO2-induced surface temperature increase would be gradually reversed but other climate changes would continue in their current direction for decades to millennia (high confidence). In other words, the world must ensure that the production activities that are responsible for producing CO2 must reduce the CO2 produced to a quantity that can be recycled by the atmosphere.

Reaching this net zero is possible through using clean technology or burying any remaining releases using carbon capture and storage or planting more trees in order to absorb these emissions. For instance, if we were to limit the use of fossil fuels such as oil, carbon and natural gas and replacing them with renewable and cleaner sources of energy, all while increasing energy efficiency it can prove beneficial because then sources of emissions are reduced.

This report, in its lengthy aspect, could not even cover up the effects of climate change on the world with its current disparities and that on its own is terrifying.

However, as climate change is a process that has been studied and continues to be studied, countries and individuals must take the report’s findings into consideration for the betterment of people (both present and future generations) and the planet. In addition, since climate change is not a process that occurred in a short period of time, we cannot remedy the situation in a blink of an eye and action must taken now.

A glimmer of hope According to BBC article by by Victoria Gill, Science correspondent, BBC News, the ban on CFC gasses in 1987 averted climate a catastrophe. The ban was a part of the Montreal protocol on climate.

If the ban had not been perature might have 2,5 degrees and the UV light hitting us all dramatically.

in place, the air tembeen increased by amount of harmful would have increased

Something actually works!

Masiziba Hadebe

Learned Lessons after receiving my degree(s)?

Smooth Sailing or not?

It is more like a steep hill. Getting the degree is an achievement but what happens after the degree really remains of outmost importance and I have learnt that after having achieved two degrees and now in pursuit of a third one. So, what have been the insights I have learnt so far post acquiring a degree?

Firstly, it is important to network.

I’ve been hearing this term a lot, but I have realized its importance by simply leaning into the concept of ‘Search Engine Optimisation’. In other words, Google cannot offer everything you want, only because it uses Search Engine Optimisation. There’s even a saying that describes this notion in a more understandable way: “Trust Google to give you many sources but trust the librarian to give you the right source”.

I wish I could have learnt to understand this concept earlier in an attempt to learn and initiate net-

works that will help me to achieve the career goals I have set. Luckily enough, I have been able to form friendships that have ended up being people who guide me.

In addition, I have also found mentors that have been the ‘librarian’ to assist me. Therefore, I recommend that people must build relationships and networks so that they can be able to grow and find the right opportunities after acquiring a degree.

Secondly, it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. This might sound a bit arrogant, but I think it is important. If you want to do something and you can see that the team is not seeing the vision you are seeing; try and do it anyway. If it does not work, you can always ask for forgiveness.

I learnt that as much as we have a lot to learn from others, we can also offer others a lot to learn.

Lastly, I learnt to take up ‘space’ and to be patient enough in the ‘waiting room’.

After obtaining a degree, it is not an automatic ‘response’ that you’ve reached your destination. It is more like you are placed in a waiting room, waiting for the doors to all your career goals to open and its okay.

While in the waiting room, make tea, write notes, smile and work. All our waiting rooms will be different. For someone, it might be taking assistantships, occupying an entry level position in the company etc.

Take up space there and work towards when your time arrives.

Masiziba Hadebe

Is Agriculture Dangerous?

The first thing that comes to mind is: Is it even possible for Agriculture to be dangerous? Or are we talking about on-site dangers, for instance someone inhaling a pesticide or forgetting to read the instruction on prescribed medicine for the cows? But what if I told you that Agriculture as a practice itself has dangers that are possibly as farfetched as the occurrence of a pandemic pre-covid-19? Let us explore Firstly, heavy metals and organic chemicals found in the soil can cause negative health effects. In an agricultural setting, the use of fertilisers, manures and pesticides has contributed to the accumulation of heavy metals in the soils. This evidence has been there for long. However, as much as we talk about sustainable farming and ensuring that the future generations have food, their health might also be affected negatively.

On the other hand, a large amount of organic chemicals come from the agricultural application of herbicides, insecticides and nemacticides. Interestingly, the exact dangers of these metals and organic chemicals have not been quantified or well-studied, and that on its own is a danger.

Secondly: the Zoonotic infections that occur as a result

of soil pathogens. There is limited information on how these infections are related to Agriculture. Bacillus anthracis is a bacteria that causes the zoonotic disease called anthrax in humans, wildlife and livestock.

However, since it is found in the soil in dormant structures that last for decades, the infections are likely to be escalated by soil degradation that occurs due to agriculture and the extreme weather changes attributed to climate change.

Then the elephant in the room: animal agriculture’s global methane contribution. Is it a ticking carbon bomb? According to scientists, the methane from factory farming had increased more rapidly than methane produced from extracting fossil fuels through processes such as fracking.

It then also becomes important to note that even though methane does not stay long enough in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide, it is more dangerous to the climate because of how it effectively absorbs heat.

From this but limited exploration, we can see that the agricultural sector has some dangers that can only be solved by the people within the industry (myself included).

The agricultural sector needs to look into all these areas and consider sustainability and the knock-on health effects of the current practices while ensuring that people are fed. If this is not done, agriculture will be more and more dangerous.

Masiziba Hadebe

Exams at University: do I still get the jitters?

As you go up and the more educated you become, the more complex questions are. It all lies in the NQF levels. Inherently, exams at university become challenging. What do I mean by that?

Well it depends on the perspective I take on the module I am studying for.

For instance, every time I enter the exam hall for those ‘terrifying’ modules where I am only aiming for a pass, I can feel my stomach tightening, my heartbeat rising and I feel more anxious while attempting to answer the paper.

But over the years, I have learnt that preparations for modules that terrify you must be done in a proper and well planned manner. For instance, I always tell my friends about the module (Please note, I am not complaining) and I tell them what I want to achieve.

That way, I am held more accountable to actually carry out my preparations for the module.

The second coping mechanism is to get a buddy who is good at the module and negotiate a tutorial with them. Yes, as cliché as it sounds, promise to buy them coffee or fried chicken in exchange for some tips in order to conquer the terrifying module.

Also some of the tidbits I picked up along the way in dealing with a terrifying module is to always listen to the lecturer. They have a lot of giveaways, especially since they know what they’re going to ask and how the answer should look like.

The other perspective when it comes to my experience to exams is feeling the exact opposite of ‘Stomach tightening-anxious feeling’. Instead, I feel excited and have complete belief in my capabilities. In this case, I always believe after an exam, I deserve full marks.

To explain this feeling, I compare it to like what happens in school. There is that one subject that you believe was meant for you, it’s either easy for you or way too interesting for you to fail. Consequently, when you write the tests for that subject, you always feel confident and at ease. Even during the preparation of the subject, you feel like time flies.

The catch though is you always have a reputation to live up to. The way to gauge that reputation is to ask your friends how well they think you’ll do in that subject. If their response is centered on the notion that it is impossible for you to fail, then remember to make sure that they are not disappointed.

Masiziba Hadebe

Why spores?

Spores are produced by bacteria, fungi, algae and plants. Because of this association, spores tend to have a negative connotation and can be seen as a threat. However, there is more to spores than one could ever imagine and it all lies in why they could be considered important.

Firstly, spores can be produced and released by specialized fruiting bodies, such as the edible portion of the familiar mushrooms, fungal spores germinate and grow into new individuals under suitable conditions of moisture, temperature, and food availability. This use is seen as a stepping stone for upcoming research.

Secondly, it has been found that when spores form a symbiotic relationship with a plant, they can enhance the plant’s drought tolerance and resistance to several soil pathogens, as well as improve a plant’s ability to acquire nutrients. Again, what remains key here is research relating to sustainable agriculture.

In fact, experts in similar or closely related fields indicate that many re-

searchers want to look at how to use spores as a replacement for things like pesticides. It’s a natural alternative to conventional pesticides that could give plants pathogen resistance or boosted nutrient acquisition from the soil.

There’s also work looking at land restoration, using spores to help some plants grow quicker in deforested areas, improve soil aggregation, and boost the environment. All this is some big and very important aspects going forward.

The other important use of spores lies in the fact that they have been linked to an important theory: life on Earth came from space. Therefore leading researchers to believe that spores might be the history lesson the earth needs.

Specifically, it is suggested that the earth’s early small plants have no root systems or hard woody tissue, which may explain why their fossil remains are rare. Resulting in the immense interest of spores as they represent these characteristics because they are simple reproductive units that carry genetic material (much simpler than seeds, which did not evolve until much later).

To substantiate this life on earth evolution theory, scientists believe that for successful reproduction, the spore walls of land plants had to be strong enough to resist drying out and damage from ultraviolet radiation.

These resilient spore walls are also what allows the spores to be preserved for hundreds of millions of years in ancient sediments, and to be extracted from those sediments using strong acids.

SPORES!

However, according to some scientists, spores might generally pose some danger. To illustrate, a study that focused on a certain type of spore (B_Subtilis) indicated that prolonged storage in desiccation can be damaging cell components like RNA and DNA. In all of these and sometimes contradictory uses, it is clearly understood that research and development in the future is needed in order to have a better understanding of spores and to cushion against possible dangers.

Despite everything, it also remains clear that the speculation and interest is not going anywhere anytime soon

w?

kno u o y d

Di

y al bod ic v o r o und asm mall ro ue to cytopl ns s a s i d io re he spo s in bacteria rable condit u m o r nfav that fo nder u u n o i t e ra rs of th tedehyd e y a l e bran the in le mem exterior to p i t l ell, u he m pore sh re, m the s o , r f g , n i e t r a spore a ws: spore co ell wall of spo e o l l x o f ds th te , c rior, as mbrane, cor hich surroun e ,w outer m r membrane rom here) ne re. (F and in he spo t f o not s nucleu hey are t t d n a o, Jus alive? N re dormant! s e r o p a re s hey ither. T ck into life. e d a e d ba spring o t g n i t wai

T

T

A

Masiziba Hadebe

Holidays at University: At a Masters level of study Holidays or no holidays? Well, that depends on who you ask. This is because it is important to remember ‘education’ at this level is diverse.

That is why some masters students study full-time while others study part time. In addition, others opt to do structured masters (which are dependent on a strict faculty timeline) while others decide to take the research route where you have ‘one’ paper (also called dissertation or thesis) to write for a given period of time.

In my case, I decided to take the research masters route. I have been given two years to complete my dissertation. However, the tricky situation is that I structure my own due dates and therefore my own holidays.

This can both be a disadvantage and an advantage. For instance, I can decide that I want one week of a holiday at my own time and at my supervisor’s discretion but during the holiday, I am still working on the paper. One may then ask why I am doing work when it is supposed to be holiday.

Firstly, research masters can be a lonely place because it’s you and your supervisors working on one paper. It’s not like undergrad where you can laugh off your workload with your classmates.

In some instances, you tend to compete with yourself, asking yourself whether you are doing enough.

That is why it is important to opt for a research masters that allows you to have fun in the process. It must be something that you enjoy delving into. That way, the feeling of loneliness will be much more fun in the process!

Secondly, in a research masters, there seems to be quite a few hiccups.

For instance, it can take you four weeks (a month) to figure out something. In this case, a lightbulb moment hits you in that week placed aside for a holiday which encourages you to visit your ‘paper’ immediately.

Recently though, I am dissertation go during because I know that I break. This is of course especially if you are so need some relief.

learning to simply let my weekends and holidays deserve to give my brain a challenging but it is worth it immersed in your work and

To conclude, the holiday or no holiday question at this level of study is different for everyone. Some people start their master’s degree while working and others while having family responsibilities, therefore their holidays may not necessarily be ‘my’ definition of a holiday.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agriculture in Funny places

We know of typical farms. These are places where ‘normal’ food is produced. This could mean a cow is kept for the milk or the sheep is kept for the wool or the land is used to produce maize, wheat or barley.

However, agriculture can occur in some funny places and in the presence of climate change challenges and rapid expansion of technology, there might be a need to know these funny places.

Our first point of reference is Asia.

The existence of a bird’s nest farm to produce one thing: Bird’s nest soup.

Here, what is needed is the nests of a certain type of bird called ‘swiftlet birds’. Restaurants are willing to pay an attractive price therefore encouraging people to be creative in keeping or producing the nests.

For instance, in Indonesia, multistory buildings in urban areas are being modified to house swiftlet bird farms. The upper stories of the buildings are riddled with entrance holes, and swiftlet song recordings, insects’ attractants, and certain scents are used to draw wild birds in. Consequently, the roof becomes a ‘farm’ itself.

Of course, there are some concerns about this unusual agricultural activity. Health concerns are more prominent and for agriculture to continue in this funny place, there is a need to overcome the health concern.

The other unusual place to do agriculture is in the air, bringing about what we call floating farms. An example to cite is the Rotterdam’s Floating Farm. Designed and created by the Goldsmith Architectural Firm, the floating dairy farm showcases a way to overcome rising sea levels and produce food in areas vulnerable to flooding.

This futuristic project is bringing dairy farming into the city with minimal impact on resources and the environment. Technological innovations include a milk robot that allows cows to be milked as they choose, an automatic belt feeder that distributes food, and a slurry robot that clears away any manure immediately after it is produced.

What is most interesting is the circular economy of this floating farm. In other words, the farm generates all of its own electricity from floating solar panels and provides fresh water through an integrated rainwater collection and purification system.

Additionally, the cows are fed with grass from playing fields and golf courses within the city alongside potato scraps, bran and brewers grain.

Finally, the ocean farms.

These are agricultural activities that take place under the sea. One popular example to cite is Nemo’s garden. This is an initiative by scuba divers and agricultural experts for the first ever underwater cultivation of terrestrial plants growing basil, strawberries and lettuce in pods on the seabed.

The aim is to not only create an alternative system of agriculture that is a viable solution to future food insecurity, but also to grow in those areas where environmental conditions, economical or morphologic reasons make plants growth extremely difficult.

It is clear from these limited examples that agriculture can occur in ‘funny’ places. However, these places might be the innovation drive that is needed to help the agricultural sector adapt to challenges such as climate change.

Masiziba Hadebe

Well it’s the New Year again and we all have hope and aspirations for the year.

For me, this is a personal one. I have goals. But I also understand that these goals might not happen at the time I wish and that is absolutely okay. The other thing to mention is that the goal post might also change in the process of time and that is also okay.

Lastly, we need to acknowledge there is no definitive process behind achieving our goals.

personal vision.

I recently hosted and attended a vision board event with a dear friend of mine. Here, we hosted a couple of friends. How enlightening that was! But in the process, I learnt that all the goals we set for ourselves tie in to the bigger

I also learnt that goals are unique to us and the vision we have for our lives. These goals are not always tangible like : “I want to buy a car”,

instead they could be deepened to something like: “I need to be kinder to myself” or “To be more tolerant” or “To be content”. Those goals are still achievable and there are various ways in which someone can achieve that.

For me, my goals are simple. Firstly, I want to finish my Master’s Degree. I have been working on it for a year now and I want to complete it. It is a journey and a half to be ‘Mastered’.

I really hope that I can be able to do my best and hopefully pass it with a distinction.

I also want to learn a new language, particularly Swahili or some other language. This is something I have been big on over the years. Last year, I was interested in learning mandarin and I was able to learn a lot. I also hope to travel within the country. I also want to be kinder to myself and improve daily where I can.

Now, the question becomes: How to achieve the goals set? Set a plan out. For instance, if you want to travel, you would need the money.

Some people save or travel using ‘workaways’. If you want to be kinder to yourself: in order to achieve that some people do daily affirmations or go to therapy.

What remains clear is that setting goals is a personal practice and I believe it works. I believe people need to be patient with themselves when setting out to achieve the goals while understanding that the time it takes to achieve them may not be exactly when expected.

Masiziba Hadebe

The relationship between milk and humans!

Milk is considered a very important food source for human beings. This important relationship dates to at least 6000 years ago. Although there are various types of ‘milk’ in existence, this article focuses on cow milk.

So how did ancient human beings adapt to drinking milk?

In order to understand the adaptation. I would like to first start by explaining what the main difference between ingestion and digestion is.

Ingestion is the taking of food into the body whereas digestion is the breakdown of food that can then be absorbed by the body.

This article focuses on the digestion of milk by the Ancients. The key word then becomes lactose tolerance which has become a popular theme when discussing milk as a food source.

But before we get there, there is a need to understand why humans drank milk in the first place m. The ‘why’ has left some contradicting perspectives, especially about the timeline and place of origin.

To illustrate, some people believe that ancients drank milk as a source of nutrients. However, opposing views say that this cannot be the case as ancient humans had vast sources of nutrients. The other interesting view is that at some point (in the iron age) , milk was a matter of life and death, especially if the water available was not clean.

Even though the why is somehow ‘foggy’ the when seems to be clearer. For instance, scientific evidence has emerged that links people from modern Kenya and Sudan to the earliest ingestion of milk products, beginning at least 6000 years ago.

Now that we know the ‘why’ and the ‘when’ regarding the relationship between Milk and Humans, the next part is the digestion. Was it easy for ancient humans to digest the milk?

Especially if you look at milk as a substance.

Milk as substance contains a type of sugar called lactose. This is distinct from other sugars found in fruit for instance. Humans, as infants or babies, produce a special enzyme called lactase that enables the digestion of the mother’s milk. But after some time (in development), the production ceases, deeming the human without lactase, to not being able digest the lactose in milk.

The ability to digest milk as an adult developed fairly recently, likely in the past 6000 years.

A handful of mutations allows adults to produce the enzyme lactase, which can break down the milk sugar lactose. Genes that enable what is called lactase persistence are widespread in modern Africa, according to a report titled: “Humans were drinking milk before they could digest it” by Andrew Curry.

The report further mentions the role by-products like cheese played in digestion. “The proteins could have come from milk, cheese, or fermented milk products like yogurt, which are common in Africa today.

Fermentation is a strategy some cultures use to break down milk sugars before consuming them, which may make it easier for people without the adaptation to consume milk products without drinking raw milk” the report further states.

In other words, by turning the milk into a secondary product like cheese or yogurt coupled with increasing consumption of the products results in better digestion of milk generally.

In addition, archaeologists have found fragments of pottery in what is now Croatia.

They carried fatty acids, suggesting that the pottery had been used to separate curds from whey: a crucial step in making cheese.

If that is correct (and the interpretation has been questioned), people were making cheese in southern Europe 7,200 years ago which could even suggest an earlier date for the ingestion of milk.

It remains clear that the milk relationship with humans is an in depth relationship that requires more research and understanding. Especially if (at some point in history), it meant life and death in conditions of unclean water and famine.

This particular aspect, when investigated further, could be a solution to similar problems today, like water insecurity or even be an alternative to water itself for the human body.

Masiziba Hadebe

ilk?

t lo

m ves

nt? olera ff if t n i se u u lacto white st ill b e r . a w . e . cats p up th eat” t r s t “ o s a i l tm th ly w tha y’ll happi any cats n. o n k e m u no fu h o r t s y ’ o t f e l d a , i h m th Di ue. W t it to the ps, and r t s ’ t m I a resen ch cr you p in stoma t resul

ca t my

Natural selection vs gene editing Agriculture has many facets including selection of plants and gene editing which are crucial elements within agricultural science. Especially since the elements have been linked to climate adaptability and their use of tackling the increasing global demand for food. Regardless of the close link in tackling the aforementioned challenges, these two elements are vastly different.

Firstly, natural selection is defined as a process by which species of plants that are best adapted to their environment survive and reproduce, while those that are less well adapted die out. Natural selection ensures only the suitable survive to pass their genes

on to the next generation. Key word in this process is ‘environment’: the survival of the most adaptable to the environment In crop related agriculture, natural selection is used to understand how to adapt crop varieties to climate change and explore how plant populations adapt to environmental change or variation. This is an important aspect in ‘climate smart agriculture’.

The crop varieties or plant population are studied over varying environmental conditions for example, varying temperature or rainfalls.

Interestingly, models often termed as model systems are then introduced. These models are an introduction to a first level of insight into how plants adapt to climate naturally.

The findings of the analysis result in naturally selected plant populations which are later used in plant genetic research which is closely linked to gene editing of plants.

Selecting plants with desired characteristics is something we have done for thousands of years.

Look at how well we cultivate roses according to what is ‘in’ this year.

That is all natural selection (helped by us of course).

Gene editing of plants is a crucial element because even though natural selection is important, the process is however completely uncontrollable and largely dependent on the ‘environment’ of plant cultivation. Gene editing, therefore, provides the ‘control aspect’ in the selection and/or creation of plant varieties.

In crop related agriculture, gene editing is used to create new varieties where breeders have used different methods to introduce heritable mutations into plant genomes.

The key words are mRNA, DNA and RNA. To illustrate, one of the powerful gene editing tools available is the well-developed CRISPR/Cas9 system, which is basically an RNA-directed DNA endonuclease adapted from the bacterial immune system to complete gene editing.

However, gene editing is controversial for several reasons.

Firstly, it is widely associated with Genet-

ically Modified Organisms (GMO’s). Secondly, there is no internationally accepted regulatory framework for gene editing.

Additionally, concerns over processes that might cause harm or fear are rising.

It is clear that both elements are important in crop related agriculture and plants are selected in various ways to mitigate climate change and to select suitable crop varieties regardless of the arising concerns. As much as Natural selection and gene editing are different, the elements are closely linked in terms of aims and processes.

Masiziba Hadebe ow?

D

u kn id yo

ds of upwar arket t a h t ted rm estima ods on supe n o e e b fo ckers t a d r e It has c s , s e p sou gif proc soda to netically en 75% o m o r f ge s– shelve nts – contain e condim gredients. in nd neered ntific a use e i c s a the ir is erning ui affa c k n n o a i c J y t use The He l controvers wing its firs ica follo e Jibioeth editing e scientist H human e m o of nes of gen

by Chi he genomes s n a m dt in hu o edite h w , i u ank 018. roos in 2 y r b al cont c m i e h t e He nd legal a dictment of li o t d e l n Ren fair he i The af esulting in t ators, Zhang ,r or versies of his collab i) o and tw Jinzhou (Wik n and Qi

Choosing a research project

There is quite some information doing the roundabouts about choosing a topic of interest and whether the research project is aligned with your capabilities or academic achievements.

However, I would like to reframe the perspective a bit: Does your research challenge a problem head on?

That is one crucial factor when deciding on a research project.

Basically, the choice of a research project depends on the problems one has witnessed. This perspective helps one to not limit oneself in the research ( in terms of the methodologies/ideas used in order to solve the problem).

One story I use to illustrate research without focusing on a problem is how the ‘finest’ candle makers could not think of light bulbs.

Once you have listed the broad problems, identify the ones that are of particular interest in your scope of work. In other words, you narrow them down to specific interests, capabilities and resources.

When this ‘narrowed down’

process is done, go into the specifics. So what has been done to solve the problem? Who are the key experts in this field? And more importantly, what has not been done?

By answering the last question, one is able to identify research gaps. It is important to have a good idea of where the research gaps are because most research programmes always ask what is different. If you do understand where the research gaps are, it becomes easier to know how you are going to be different.

Just as important is the exchange of ideas with the lecturers to see where international research is headed. Remember, this is not a school project. A Master’s project is research that must be relevant to all other researchers in the world!

To illustrate the research gap, many researchers or postgraduate students will use words like “little has been done in . . .” or “There is no research project that has been able to . . . . “.

Once the research problem and the research gaps have been identified, it becomes easy for one to formulate the research project as clearly as possible sine these two aspects lead to easy formulation of objectives, hypotheses, definition of variables and choice of methodology.

That is how one chooses a research project.

Masiziba Hadebe

Milk, milk and more milk!

Is there a difference?

Moving from one aisle to another in every supermarket leaves you with so many options. Milk is one of those products that has so many options that can leave you pandering as to what the difference is.

Well, there seems to be quite a huge difference between the processes involved in processing milk. In other words, the milk is not directly from the cow to the cupboard, instead, the milk undergoes some processes in between before it reaches your cupboard or fridge.

The question then becomes: Why can’t we just drink milk straight from the cow?

Raw milk can carry germs which can have serious adverse effects, hence the need to pasteurise it or expose it to some form of processing.

There are different processes resulting in the difference in the milk you see on the shelf. The common or widely popular process is pasteurisation. This technique heats milk to 72 degrees Celsius for about 15 seconds and then the milk is cooled down.

The process has two main advantages; destroying any harmful bacteria and micro-organisms while extending the shelf-life. The milk resulting in this process is called ‘Pasteurised milk’. However, ‘long life’ milk is heated to 140 degrees Celsius for two seconds.

The other process is called homogenisation. Here, the milk is placed under pressure through fine nozzles to evenly distribute fat globules.

Due to the evenly distributed fat globules, the cream of the milk will not separate and it won’t rise to the top. Here, this will be the regular or full fat milk you see on the shelf.

Then centrifugal separation is a process that removes all or some of the cream to make reduced fat and low fat milk. This results in milk that has less than 1.5% milk fat (low fat or skimmed milk) or about 2% (reduced fat) while retaining the same nutrients as regular milk.

On the other hand, ‘concentrated milk’ or ‘powder milk’ undergoes unique processes where basically the moisture is removed.

Techniques like coating particles with lecthin are used which help particles from clumping together.

The other difference in milk, especially for a cow’s milk, is lactose (a sugar found in the milk). The milk can be lactose reduced or lactose free milk where lactose is removed for easy digestion for people with intolerance.

It remains clear that there are many different types of milk and those mentioned are not an exhaustive list. Additionally, there is not one milk process because there are a number of different technologies existing to the make the process more efficient.

However, it becomes important to do your research while shopping for milk. And we haven’t even touched on milk products like yoghurt, butter, whipped cream, sour cream, Mageu and so on.

? nowt can k u ha

Did y

Prior t ou also o ens t uc y r e o k all tub pasteurisat now?

Did pathog ally): tub pyio e m n ic traced rculosis cas n, 10% of uma are (typ hoid, Ca coli, h e e t s coul o raw Th d be milk eria, typ cella, E. l infec- tion. m t i l c k e consu a th ru c inf h B . c ) , p ! m o i a s pe ri oc ,d losis ter, Liste d strept nasty on c n l loba nella, a e are al s o e Salm (and th s tion

Did you further know?

French cheeses are typically made with raw milk. Camembert and Roquefort can not be named as such if they are not made with raw milk!

And by the way: Unpasteurised cheese in France is the major source of staphylococcal food poisoning.

Masiziba Hadebe

Should you do your Masters or Not? It becomes difficult to believe that going to school can be a ‘choice’ as education is so important to many countries. But doing a Masters is a choice. A choice of furthering your studies and adding to the existing qualifications one has. The question then becomes: “Should I consider doing my masters?

Unfortunately there is little known about the exact number of people who have either attempted to pursue their masters or have obtained a master’s degree, let alone consensus on their reasons.

However, these ‘numbers’ are doubling in countries such as the United States of America. There are various reasons for this but the main reason is that graduates believe that pursuing a master’s degree is a career advancement move. In other words, if one is eyeing a promotion, a master’s degree might be the key they need to open that door.

However, the ‘need’ not ‘want’ of a Master’s degree might be dependent on the rise in research and development institutions or divisions that solely require most of the staff members to be masters of their profession.

Research and development divisions or

institutions provide powerful knowledge and insights which often lead to existing processes where efficiency can be increased and costs reduced. It also allows businesses to develop new products and services.

In my experience, a master’s degree, especially if mostly research based, gives you the opportunity to fall into the Research and Development part that is so crucial to innovation.

So it really becomes the question of when I obtain my Masters, what am I going to do with it?

That is why when you see most of the research projects requiring masters students and doctoral students because the degree has an aim of generally solving problems and developing existing ideas, products or methodologies.

Other complications that arise when deciding whether to do a Masters or not is the age. Do I need to complete it when I am young or old? It depends on the person.

ow? enn k ou tm

Did yrees were firs233.

1 r’s deg ull in Maste n a papal b i ut tioned h abo c u m as very t was an research i , r e v th Howe rather . g n i h day teac w it to o n k we

Some people prefer to do their masters years later after they’ve had a grasp of what it is they have interest in or would like to be an expert in. While others, like myself, prefer to do it while I am young and full of energy. In addition, I am vastly interested in research and the master’s route is definitely aligned with my career prospects.

In all honesty, there are quite a number of factors that can and will affect your choice of doing your masters ranging from finances to career choices. However, it remains important to be able to understand your ‘why’ before making a choice.

Masiziba Hadebe scope

of

a

s?

Master’

ected ates are exp u d ra g s r’ ebody of th died, maste d tu e s z a li re ia a c e e p in th of a s tical Wiki: “With analysis, cri e knowledge d in e ls c il n k a s v r d e a igh ord y to solv to possess ed topics; h cation; and the abilit li p p a d tly” n a oretical dependen nal appli in io s s d n fe a ro ly p s r u ,o k rigoro evaluation s and thin m le b ro p complex

What

is

the

School gardens:

Initiation, Impact, and sustainability Food insecurity is prevalent in many communities and that is why many schools in the country have feeding schemes to mitigate the situation.

However, there has been has a rise in the need to develop food gardens within schools as these gardens are seen as a tool to contribute to food security. To illustrate, a body of work focusing on school food gardens has found that the potential health benefits related to a school garden go beyond nutritional benefits and the activity itself can be linked to long term sustainability of education.

In the consideration of successful school gardens, it was found that these gardens did contribute much-needed fresh vegetables to learners’ diets.

The additionally benefits include physical, mental, and emotional benefits related to providing children with opportunities to engage with nature (therapeutic activity). Particularly, the school garden programs improved pupil’s confidence, resilience, self-esteem, and positively influenced motivation and behaviour, with increased enthusiasm for school

and learning, and better attendance and completion of homework.

A school food garden also potentially provides a resource for active, experiential learning opportunities that may be formal (linked to specific curriculum topics and integrated with classroom-based learning) or informal (through after-school activities or during play times).

Now, the question becomes who can initiate such programmes within schools?

The research done has found that paid for gardeners, school caretakers or community members can take responsibility for managing school gardens, and this remains the case today.

To ensure sustainability of such initiatives, it is important to regard the garden as a purely agricultural activity.

If the garden itself is viewed as an agricultural activity, it is understood that there is a need to make the whole project sustainable in the long term. For instance, resources (water, fencing, inputs) must be allocated, harvesting times set, allocation of labour hours (work must be done even on school holidays), security etc. In a way, it should run like a farm.

It is apparent that school garden initiatives have a huge impact in curbing food insecurity within schools while achieving additional benefits.

However, there is a large share that still needs to be done to improve the sustainability of the initiatives.

Masiziba Hadebe

How to protect the soil Soil, even though it’s a biological medium that has evolved over time, has problems and challenges that can be mitigated. This is because soil is an important biological active medium that plays an essential role in the food we eat, the trees that absorb our carbon dioxide amongst many other uses. The question then becomes: how do we ensure that we protect such an important biological medium?

Firstly, there is a need to identify the problems that are commonly associated with soil which prove detrimental to all the key functions that the ‘soil’ carries out. The problems are namely (the list is not exhaustive, and one must always be on the lookout for challenges); soil pollution, soil erosion and soil degradation Soil pollution/contamination is one of the biggest soil problems on the planet.

Many different types of contaminants - heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and chromium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, animal waste, industrial waste can find their way into soil.

One of the prominent ways to mitigate soil pollution (especially since it is a complex problem that ought to be solved) is to reduce the use

of Chemical Fertilizers. This is a huge debate across industries. Often, the productivity of agriculture and use of chemical fertilisers is an ongoing discussion. Other proposed solutions are reforestation and afforestation, recycling and reusing products amongst many other proposals.

Soil erosion, on the other hand, is water flowing across soil, especially when bare, carries soil particles and nutrients off-site. This can lead to the build-up of sediment in streams, ponds, rivers, and degrades water quality and degrades ecosystems. One of the keyways of mitigating soil erosion is to monitor all areas of your yard for signs of soil erosion.

Sometimes stormwater that is not able to soak into soil gets channelled and gathers force and can carry away unprotected soil. Additionally, keep soil covered at all times using groundcovers (from turf to trees), permanent non-plant cover (mulches), or cover crops.

Soil degradation is a problem where the solution is focused on one area: Agriculture. This is because soil degradation describes what happens when the quality of soil declines and diminishes its capacity to support animals and plants.

Therefore, it is recommended that practicing crop rotation allows different plants to grow in an area of soil every year.

This allows the soil to replenish itself of nutrients that are lacking after the growth of one type of plant. Agroforestry and Permaculture are also encouraged.

It is clear that soil can be protected. However, there is still a long way to go. It is important to continually identify problems and not only propose, but also implement the solutions provided.

Some solutions, like recycling and reusing, are practices that start with us and therefore we can play a role in implementing the solution.

Masiziba Hadebe

Cellular Agriculture

Another way to grow plants ?

There has been a lot of work done around meat free meat or slaughter free meat which essentiallly means that meat can be grown in a ‘lab’.

However, the question now becomes if ‘plants’ such as your popularly known food crops can also be grown in the ‘lab’ and whether there is a ‘consideration’ for growing plants in the lab. Let us explore.

Let us just get the terminology spot-on: ‘Meat-free meat’ is plant-based products, made to look like meat and have the same consistency as the meat-product. It is perfect for vegans. It is available in any super-market.

‘Slaughter-free meat’ is lab-grown. In essence, a sample of the animal tissue is taken and grown in a ‘bio-reactor’. This is a chemical process at the cellular level. The finished product is meat. Another word is ‘fin-less fish’. Same as above.

We have a term for plants as well: ‘harvest-free plants’. The technology is the same as for slaughter-free meat or finless fish. However, plants are different and there are some challenges.

After all, meat looks like meat whether from a cow, a pig or from a lab. A ‘bean’ could be a coffee bean, a red bean and so on. The variety is bigger.

Firstly, ‘lab’ grown plants are possible and the answer lies in cellular agriculture. Cellular agriculture is a broad term for producing agricultural products such as meat and dairy using biotechnology and tissue engineering approaches.

However, this practice is seldomly seen in the development of food plants (particulary for complex food plants such as grains or fruit) because of the mere notion that it may not be as ‘urgent’ as producing meat free meat. This is due to the fact that the production of meat free meat is percieved as a way to curb the environmental effects and concerns associated with livestock production. In fact, the environmental impact of food plant production is lower than that of livestock production.

Yet, even though cellular agriculture is seldomly used in producing food plants, there are some areas in the world that have looked into this possibility.

Korea and China have been able to grow Ginseng using cellular agriculture.

In fact, the process itself has been considered as an established practice for food supplement production. Now, since it has been established that there is a possibility for plants to be produced in the ‘lab’, what are some of the potential processes that can be involved in producing lab grown ‘plants’.

Ginseng is one example to turn to. Ginseng produced from cellular agriculture use mainly panax extracts for ginsenosides. Then in vitro culture is introduced to provide fast and continuous access to bioactive panax extracts.

There are vast differences amongst processes and extracts when exploring the process in detail. Interestingly and contrary to lack of belief that this process might be new, it is not. In fact , Panax plant phytochemistry has been investigated since the mid-nineteenth century starting with mostly P.ginseng.

It is clear that plants, particularly food plants can be grown from the ‘lab’.

However, there is a need to know how and for how long can we grow the food crops. Additionally, what are the pro’s and con’s of growing food plants this way.

Interestingly, although the sense of ‘urgency’ around producing ‘lab’ grown plants is not there, there is some potential for further research.

This is because there might be a need for lab grown plants expecially if one considers aspects such as food insecurity, natural resource scarcity and climate change.

Masiziba Hadebe

Thesis Flash fact competition: How I won it.

By: Masiziba Hadebe As a Master’s student in Agricultural Economics at University of the Free State (UF), I was fortunate enough to be part of an annual thesis competition at the university. The catch, in this competition, was that you had to present your thesis in three minutes in a way that everyone can understand. At the end of the competition, I was selected as the 2022 winner in the master’s category. So how did I present a 100+ paged document in three minutes?

To give a bit of background, the competition was divided into two stages: departmental stage and Faculty stage. The rules were the same for each stage.

will be disqualified.

The rules were that the competitor must use a single, static PowerPoint Presentation slide and any competitor exceeding three minutes

My study is titled the economic value of root accessible water table information. Indeed, this can be a mouthful.

Therefore, I broke it down in a way that everyone could understand.

Firstly, I started explaining the situation around water: how

important it is to everyone and highlighting its importance by stating the fact that it has no alternative.

It is practically irreplaceable. I further mentioned the elephant in the room: water scarcity, which is a huge challenge for industries.

This was important to do as I was judged on whether the presentation was understandable – presented so that an average person can follow.

Secondly, I mentioned that irrigation agriculture is where we turn to for the solution because irrigation agriculture is estimated to use 70% of the available water resources worldwide.

This translates to the industry potentially being restricted in its water use in the near future. Mentioning this was also important as I was judged on whether I was able to illustrate the significance of the research.

I continued to mention that some studies have found that in most irrigation soils, there are root accessible water tables which differ for each crop.

These water tables can contribute to about 50% of the water requirements during the growing season.

However, the challenge lies in the fact that farmers do not use information about these water tables.

My task, I further mentioned, is to estimate what economic value irrigation farmers will get if they consider using the root accessible water tables (with the end aim of convincing them to use the root accessible water table information).

For instance, how much electricity is saved on pumping water in an optimal way? how much less water would be applied? This too was important as I was judged on the clarity around what question is being addressed.

In closing, I mentioned the tools I was using, ranging from bio-economic modelling to value of information analytical tools. The key, indeed, was to be brief and concise while telling a story.

PS: The prize money was a whooping R5,000-00!

Masiziba Hadebe e: w

abl ater t

gain?

it a hat is

raof satu e n o z cf the s: rface o pores and fra be a u t s i r s e e p fin up lso the Wiki de r table is the where It can a is . s i r e n t a o i e t w t d a The wa zone of satur aturated with ch the groun i s h e e h w r low tion. T he ground a epth be d t f e o h t s ture d as xplaine e y l p ates m si r infiltr e une . t d a e w t , a r h th satu tation throug precipi g re t n i n s e s i a c s in mo l, p l uffi i l s o fi s h r t i e e t h w a t n is s In area ore spaces in sing depths, w e of saturatio hp zon rea throug until a . At inc , e s l n i o o z s ed he saturat re spaces in t o of the p ter! e is wa r d. e e h h t c a d e r el an hat lev t o t n ell dow Drill a w

W

Masiziba Rolemodel and idol I have been asked by the wonderful team at Hola to write an article about my achievements from a sixteen-year-old writer to now a Masters candidate. This has been a culmination of more than six years of hard work and I have honestly learnt a lot.

To start off, I would like to recall my grade 11 and Grade 12 years of study. These are the years where I found myself being part of Hola Ma High School Magazine.

I worked on a series of articles ranging from how coal is not green, nuclear energy and food security. These articles were way beyond my curriculum but I was interested in finding out information and given today’s situation, those articles are still relevant.

Fortunately, the articles were not only published by Hola Ma High School but are part of the Library at my previous high school were they are easily accessible to the learners there.

I honestly write for them as I focus on what I wish I had known during that age. This makes it easy for me and the Hola team to come up with relevant article ideas.

After High School, I went on to study at the University of the Free State. I did a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and went on to do my honors in the same major.

My first achievement during this time was to be a recipient of the Rural Education Access Programme (REAP) Bursary. This programme started in my Grade 11 year of study and after an extensive selection process, I was selected as one of the recipients. REAP took me to varsity and for that I will forever be grateful.

Owing to the drive I had to succeed in varsity, I was involved in several projects and received acknowledgement for the hard work and dedication.

For instance, I mankey international is an organizaacademic excelas a project secUFS under their called Sprout focused on helping in Zastron, QwaQwa yields and have access

aged to become a golden society member, which tion that recognizes lence. I also served retary at Enactus Agricultural project Africa which mainly smallholder farmers and Malawi to improve to markets.

I was also selected as one of the career network volunteers in the University where I was aiding students in career development through helping in organizing career workshops.

I was also given the opportunity to be one of the selected university representatives by Enke in their ignition programme for which I was given the task to facilitate leadership programmes to grade 10-12 learners.

At the end of my Bachelor’s degree, REAP also recognized me as a student leader and I received an award for that along with the 11 distinctions I had obtained making me the 2nd best academic achiever in the Gauteng and Free State REAP region.

The student leadership award was a recognition of the work I put into the Peer Buddy programme where I was actively helping REAP first year students to adjust to the transition from home to university.

The aforementioned duties and awards is what I achieved during my Undergraduate studies.

In 2020, I went on to do my Honours Degree. Of course, the degree was completed (with distinction) under uncertain times as the world experienced a pandemic.

In these circumstances, however, I managed to achieve a lot. For instance, I was selected as the Rethinking Economics for Africa Chairperson which is an organization that equips Economics students to solve challenges in the African context.

In the same year, I went on to start a food garden in my previous high school.

I am currently doing my Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and doing big things. I am in irrigation water management. This is something important to me as someone who is in the Agricultural space as Irrigation Agriculture uses the bulk of available water resources while water is scarce and the need to produce more food increases. Studies like mine aim to balance the need in the presence of water scarcity.

During this time, one of my articles titled ocean farms won the Hollard Junior Agri-writers competition. I was also the winner of the 2022 flash fact thesis competition at the university where I was required to present my thesis in three minutes in a way that everyone could understand.

I was also selected by my University to represent them in the 2022 Agbiz congress for the student case competition where I was selected as the best presenter and my team came second overall.

Indeed, these achievements are nothing but a combination of hard work and dedication along with some failures that serve as stepping stones.

Masiziba Hadebe

Funding tertiary studies?

What can be changed?

South African universities can only accept 18% of matriculants. Within the 18%, almost half (47%) are expected to drop out. This figure rises to about 70% when Distance learning is accounted for. The first year of study becoming the year of fragility.

Additionally, access to adequate funding seems to be the problem facing many students across South Africa. To illustrate, every year, there are students who still owe higher institutions thousands of rands and will not be able to register before they repay their debt.

The funding situation also escalates during postgraduate studies when donors wish to pull funding from the institutions due to governance concerns.

Therefore, what can be done to help students fund their tertiary studies?

Student Salaries can be one solution. There can be a general student

salary. This general student salary can be funded like the Skills Development Levy (SDL), which is a levy imposed to encourage learning and development in South Africa.

The funds are used to develop and improve skills of employees.

However, this funding should not be restricted to being only funded by the levy but is open (and encouraged) to donors or relevant external support.

The funds, once collected, can be used to allocate funds to higher education institutions (HEIs) under performance outputs. For instance, it could be an “education performance component” which can be based on the number of credits, number of graduates and number of international exchange students; and a “research performance component” which can be partly a result-based allocation based on the number of publications.

Then there should be a general component funding which can be intended to support stability and selected priorities, such as the student salary, special needs for a variety of disciplines and subjects, special needs for different regions, and operating expenses (including tuition fees) and maintenance costs for buildings.

When it comes to the student salary, the salary can then be graded according to parent’s income (or brackets) but remaining market competitive (for instance, it can cover average rent, average cost of food, transport etc).

In conclusion, by introducing a student salary through a levy that is like a SDL, students can be paid salaries to cover their daily expenses while their tuition fees are covered as soon as they fall within the 18% of the students who are accommodated in the higher institutions.

However, there is more research that needs to be done, for instance, what a competitive student salary would be like and how costly it would be to roll out such a financing model.

Additionally, what governance structures along with regulations, monitoring and evaluation programmes are needed to make such a financing model successful along with any other challenges/negatives.

Masiziba Hadebe Did you know?

The NSFAS budget is some R49 billion.

SA has one million university students and some 700,00 TVET students.

Total university budgets are R88 billion.

Denmark offers free education also at university level. There are no tuition fees and a ‘student stipend’ ensures that students can get an education and start life without any student debts and has no clause of paying it back. It is funded from taxation.

Agro Processing Dreams vs Reality Agro processing is a “value adding” process which refers to the sub-sector that takes primary materials and intermediate goods from agricultural, fisheries and forestry-based sectors and processes them to make it usable as food, feed, fibre, fuel, or industrial raw material.

This process has long existed with the presence of products like dried fruit, canned fruit, biofuels, and juice. The agro processing industry is a significant contributor to the manufacturing industry. Furthermore, this industry allows for multidisciplinary collaboration between chemical engineers, chemists, food scientists, biotechnologists etc.

Due to the potential that the industry holds, the sector has been perceived as the sector to address nutrition and food security challenges in many countries while increasing the demand for the agricultural products and opportunities for rural employment with a particular focus on increasing the number of agro processing firms. But is that as easy as it seems?

Firstly, challenges around market access, technology adoption, skills development, and adequate infrastructure, and some incentives to partici-

pate in the existing agro processing industries are prevalent.

Secondly, the food and agro processing sector in countries like South Africa is dominated by large commercial operations translating to the sector being characterised by extensive anticompetitive conduct as the few role players do not easily allow the transformation to take place because of uncertainty and risk aversion.

Thirdly, cost competitiveness is seen as a minimum requirement in agro processing which means that entrant agro processing units must be able to compete against imports and large local businesses. Aspects such as transport and logistics capabilities can significantly shape the competitiveness of a firm, and these are perceived as significant challenges.

Lastly, access to financing. Many entrant agro processing firms face challenges in securing finance from both private and public (development finance) institutions due to the cost advantages that large commercial operations have over them. Indeed, over the years, work has been done to give rise to alternative finance, however, it seems there is a mismatch between the design of development funding and the needs of entrant firms.

It is clear that there is a gap between agro processing dreams and the current reality. Additionally, for the mere fact that every entry firm will face their own unique set of challenges makes the gap even wider.

Regardless, the sector remains crucial and has the potential to contribute to food security while lessening unemployment through agricultural, fisheries and forestry-based sectors.

Masiziba Hadebe

Agro processing is the norm Can we find something that has not been processed somehow? We might think that the very basic foods are not there, but…

Potatoes are washed before they are packed for sale in Spar! Look at a potato fresh from the ground. It is not exactly cleaned and shiny and light yellow.

Lettuce then! Yes, but.. lettuce typically gets washed as well.

Some things are more ‘processed than others. Mealie miel is milled and vitamins added. Flour the same. Not a lot has happened to it, but it is still part of agro processing.

Then we get to the ‘real’ thigs: the beef patties for the burger, the marmalade for the toast, the canned tomatoes and so on. Look at the shopping next time!

What is adding to the cost of the food product is of course processing, additional ingredients (salt, water, etc), packaging and marketing. Marketing is a factor.

The onion from Spar is probably like the one from Woolworths, but not so with say juice and marmalade!

Bon appetite

The story behind some vegetables: humble or noble?

Vegetables have stories that stretch as far back as the time of hunter gatherers. In fact, since the birth of modern human civilizations, vegetables have been identified as the source of great medicinal and nutritional power. But is the story of some of these vegetables humble or noble?

Let us explore.

Firstly, the mighty potato. The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids and as a tuber, it was inherently more productive.

Therefore, in the 18th century, the tuber was a startling novelty, frightening to some, bewildering to others.

But one of Columbus’ voyages resulted in the potato becoming one of the most beloved vegetables in the world.

Scientists believe the beloved tuber originated in Peru and the tuber species crossed the Atlantic from Peru to become an emblem of the Columbian Exchange. According to researchers, the potato’s arrival in northern Europe spelled an end to famine there which contributed significantly to the rise of the west.

Secondly, the ‘X-ray Vision’ Carrots.

The fascinating story of the domestication of carrots in the fields of prehistoric Iran and Afghanistan and its subsequent spread to Egypt and China may be found in the history of the crop, which dates back 5,000 years.

By the 13th century, carrots were grown in China and northwest Europe, and during European colonial rule, wild carrot was mistakenly introduced as a weed in the United States.

Thirdly, one of the most widely discussed vegetables (or rather fruit?); the tomato.

The tomato has had a fair share of controversy with at some point in history, being widely known as the ‘poison apple’ which was later cleared.

However, the wild species first appeared in South America’s Andes Mountains, most likely in Peru and Ecuador. It is believed to have been domesticated in pre-Columbian Mexico where the term “tomatl” is taken from the Náhuatl (Aztec) language to derive the name ‘tomato’.

Lastly, the mighty beans. Due to the existence of many cultivars and varieties, it is clear that the history of beans is long and interesting. The first discoveries and evidence that humans used beans as food date back 9,000 years and are said to be discovered in Thailand.

Beans were also discovered in the tombs of the Egyptian monarchs, where they had been buried as food for the dead and their souls in the hereafter.

The common thread in the long history of the bean is that the vegetable played a vital role in the nutritional health of many cultures.

It is clear that these vegetables have played significant roles in the world and the stories behind their domestication or origin are not only humble and noble but long and interesting.

Masiziba Hadebe Imagine a world without potatoes?

My perspective on COP27 The recent Conference Of Parties (COP) 27 was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for two weeks. In this conference, more than 100 Heads of State and Governments were in attendance all with the aim of addressing climate change; a topic that has gone from being perceived as an abstract phenomenon to a global priority. So, what is my opinion on the conference itself?

In all honesty, climate change is real and is affecting many livelihoods.

That is evident and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report established that the climate is changing, and human activity is at the core of causing climate change. Therefore, human beings are supposed to find ways to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

COP is seen as one of the mechanisms to achieve this mitigation and adaptation to climate change, which looks different for every nation, country and continent. However, the conference itself is somehow a very singular way of mitigating climate change.

Why do I say this?

To give you a back story, the IPCC report stated that human activity warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2000 years. When this fact is mentioned, you think of the start of the Industrial Revolution, in about 1750, where human activities such as burning fossil fuels, including coal and oil, have increased greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere.

This industrial revolution gave birth to the highest rates of energy consumption which are now commonly associated with developed countries, and this is a major cause of global greenhouse gases.

Developed nations become well off nations due to exploring and utilising more energy in their industrial activities that is also higher than developing nations.

Therefore, the developed nations and their contribution to climate change has been a widely discussed topic in COP and it is always highlighted that the non-developed nations are the ones taking the brunt, because climate change affects everyone.

PS: Cows are responsible for 14,5% of greenhouse gas (Methane). Methane is 30 times more potent than CO2; hence there are calls for getting rid of beef on the menu

Even though this is true, the conference tends to be about highlighting this point and finding ways for the ‘big sister/brother’ who is allegedly responsible for the damages to pay ‘little sister/brother’ for the damages incurred; this is a common thread as fund after fund is established. However, these funds (the processes and core architect) are often unclear or not established. That is where COP needs to improve on.

Focus on the groundwork, the funds that are in place, how are they customised (both in adapting and mitigating) to fit the target. Feasible solutions already exist (especially in relation to climate change adaptation), but how do we ensure that these solutions reach vulnerable communities.

The practical knowledge and mechanisms that come out of the conference must be executed by every human being.

Masiziba Hadebe e Fact fil 22 ember 20 v o N 8 1 pt • 6 eikh, Egy h S le m • Shar speakers • 2,000 es 0 attende • 35,00 pics • 300 to te ads of sta r • 90 he s t observe ie u r t o n h u it o w c t COP es • 190 is the firs tries ratifi n is u h o T c i: g ik atin tion • W all particip amework Conven states as r y.

F Nations atican Cit d V e g it n in U d e lu th e inc te Chang on Clima

Climate Change and Farming The real relationship Climate change is often in close association with farming. But have you ever wondered exactly what relationship climate change has with Farming?

Well, the answer to that question is not that simple as farming is broad, region specific and holds different benefits to different people. In fact, balancing the need for people to eat and the effect of climate change has not been a clear line.

For instance, it is expected that the consequences of global climate change on agricultural production will be minimal to modest. Regional effects, however, may have a big impact in many parts of the world.

Agricultural yields and productivity changes will differ greatly across different regions.

The world’s grain productivity will probably slightly decline overall because of these variances in gains and losses.

However, it is known that agricultural facilities contribute approximately a large percentage to the annual increase to global warming through carbon dioxide, methane

and nitrous oxide gas with the livestock industry being the main culprit.

In fact, the global food system is responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions.

Another way to look at it is through ecosystems. Ecosystems are managed via agricultural systems. To comprehend and estimate the consequences of climate change on production and food supply, it is essential to consider human response.

Agriculture is a dynamic system, and producers and consumers constantly react to shifts in crop and livestock yields, food prices, input prices, resource availability, and technology advancement.

In other words, does food demand have to decrease?

Well, that’s far fetched as food insecurity is prevalent in the world. Therefore, when we ask ourselves the relationship between farming and climate change, we must inherently ask ourselves about the relationship between food security and climate change.

However, that relationship too is not clear cut as crop failure (i.e., less food is produced), especially in the world’s most food-insecure regions, will push more people into poverty. Ironically, the crop failure is caused by climate change.

But is there a silver lining?

According to a growing body of work around the issue, major social, economic, and technological changes are required for not only the relationship between climate change and farming to be understood and/or food security but to mitigate the effects of this turbulent, not so straightforward relationship.

Masiziba Hadebe

Where is she? - Masiziba Hadebe It’s been a while since I wrote an article, and even as I pen this, I realise that 2023 changed my life. I achieved multiple things—not ones that you can point to materially but internally.

If you have been following my Hola journey, you would know how much I thought I had my life figured out. Well, the answer has not been simple.

I didn’t end up where I thought I would be. Even though that sounds like a train smash, what if I told you, it wasn’t? In fact, things turned out to be greater than I expected. So, really, where am I? There are a few changes that have happened. I tapped into my creative writing recently; all stories are available on Tapas under Masi.

I remember the moment I started creative writing. My first story was about the Kingdom of Blidzi. I never finished it but returned and wrote Turning Tables as a commemoration after I had an aha moment.

It is aha moments that make you realise who you are and these moments usually stem from within yourself. That’s when I decided to put everything else that was part of my creative writing on the platform, mostly stories that I had written earlier and expanded on.

So why is this important to mention?

This is part of the internal work I have been doing: discovering and leaning into what sets my heart on fire, and that is creative writing. It

makes me light a fire inside me that has warmth, and I want that warmth to spread, not only for me but for others.

I also joined the world of banking. This is something I knew was bound to happen, but I never thought it would bring me so much exposure. I enjoy it, even though sometimes I find myself in rooms wondering why on earth I am here. This is a world that has intentionally made me acknowledge that I know less, and by allowing me to do that, I can tap into more.

What’s more interesting is that it’s not just any type of banking; it’s agricultural banking, where agriculture is at the core. Here, I felt like a sponge, taking in as much as I could. It has allowed me to rethink agriculture, understand it better, and, more importantly, the people in it. This has also required a lot of internal work.

I also completed my Masters in Agricultural Economics. This was a journey. I also had to go deep. To push myself even though I couldn’t see the boundary.

The piece of paper does not only show that I managed to cross the line, but it is also proof of my tenacity and perseverance and that, with the right people by your side, you can accomplish your wildest dreams.

Masiziba Hadebe