SRCS second in international competition

The Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) of the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University won second prize in an international competition for student community service organisations.

No other university in South Africa received a prize or honourable mention in the 2012 competition.

This honour came the way of the SRCS with a prize of $5 000 that they received with the MacJannet prize for world citizenship. The first prize was awarded to a student organisation in Mexico and the third prize to an organisation in China.
The MacJannet prize is awarded annually to student community projects from universities that are part of the Talloires International network. The NWU is a member of this network.

This year 72 nominations from 52 universities in 21 countries were submitted and the judges were impressed with the quality and scope of the projects. Only 11 projects were selected worldwide to go through to the next round.

Ms Bibi Bouwman, Institutional Director: Community Engagement, says the NWU entered three projects and the SRCS projects were the only ones of these that were selected for the final round.

The student council member for SRCS, Kobus Dannhauser, says he is very happy about the recognition that SRCS received. “SRCS has come a long way together with the community and I’m very glad about everyone’s hard work that is now bearing fruit, even the previous years’ hard work.” He says SRCS remains a unique organisation that is mainly run by students. “I’m grateful that people take notice of what these students sacrifice in their free time.” 

The SRCS’s projects focus on four main areas of early child development, child and youth development, vulnerable youth and adults and various outreach programmes to the community. They also focus on sustainability, empowerment and quality community involvement. Two thirds of the 92 SRCS projects are aimed at community development while the other third is aimed at community service. Many of these projects are long-term partnerships with the community that have already existed for a number of years.

The SRCS was established in 1977 and is in a student-driven organisation. About 4 500 students are involved in these projects every year. The SRCS annually pays about R800 000 to projects and individuals in Potchefstroom and the rest of the North West province.

The Potchefstroom Campus Rector, Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (right), congratulates Kobus Dannhauser, student council member for SRCS.