Kagiso is the Sotho word that means “to build each other” and this is what UP RAG strives to do through the Kagiso Program.

The Kagiso Program is a four-week program that aims to help students acquire the necessary skills for community work. This program is then concluded with a transformation seminar conducted by the UP RAG transformation officer. Kagiso training also serves as the first step of training for the UP RAG Ambassadors participants as well as students wishing to participate in our THUSHO projects making the Kagiso Program an important component of UP RAG.

This year, our aim is to groom “Advocates of Help” and to ensure that by the end of the training period, the participants are able to become just that.

The Kagiso Program commenced on the 4 March 2019. Our Kagiso Trainers, made up of UP RAG Executive and General Committee members, worked very hard preparing and facilitating sessions and we received some great feedback from participants. The Transformation Seminar was held on the 3 April 2019 and the topic of discussion was “Is Alcohol part of Varsity Culture?” This was in honour of April being Alcohol Awareness Month. Our guest speaker, Mr Sipho Carson, shared some experiences of what alcohol abuse had done to someone in his life and also shed some light on what it means to be a responsible drinker. The evening ended with audience members sharing their thoughts and questions surrounding the issue.

I believe that if we have well developed and passionate people for community work then we have established the foundation of sustainable community projects. Community work is a great idea of quality leadership.