In Service of Society | CASIT's Student Community "Village"
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Is community engagement at South African universities truly a two-way exchange — or are students still cast as saviours in a narrative that overlooks what they stand to gain? And three decades into our democracy, what does it mean for a young person to be genuinely in service of society, not as institutional obligation, but as lived conviction?
In this episode of Lunch Club on MFM 92.6, Jacolette Kloppers sits down with Aqeelah Hendrickse, Training and Placement Coordinator at the Centre for the Advancement of Social Impact and Transformation (CASIT); Michelle Pietersen, Manager for Engaged Citizenship at CASIT; and Pulane Mtshali, SRC Chairperson and champion of social impact at Stellenbosch University.
Together, they challenge the assumption that community engagement is a one-directional act of generosity — and make the case for why every student's village extends far beyond their friend group.
What we cover in this episode:
- The Reciprocal Village: Why community engagement is not charity. Michelle and Pulane unpack how volunteering transforms students as profoundly as it does the communities they serve — building skills, confidence, and employability in ways no classroom can replicate.
- Redefining Community: CASIT's expanded vision of "social impact" moves beyond the traditional framing of communities in need to encompass society in its broadest sense — including businesses, institutions, and fellow students struggling on campus.
- More Than Money: The conversation confronts the myth that meaningful contribution requires financial resources. Time, care, and presence — what Pulane calls "being a villager" — are examined as the true currency of impact.
- A Buffet of Opportunities: From social justice and tutoring to healthcare and elder care, CASIT's Impacting Communities Through Volunteerism programme offers students more than ten categories of engagement, each designed around individual passion rather than institutional prescription.
- Experiential Learning in Practice: Aqeelah, herself a former Matie volunteer, reflects on how experiential learning — with no marks, no evaluations, and no right or wrong answers — gave her the skills that secured jobs she never thought she would land.
- Students at the Centre: The Student Community Engagement Series is designed so that students are not merely the subject of the conversation but active participants in shaping it — alongside community partners, alumni, and researchers from across the institution.
Key Resources & Highlights:
- The "Village" Principle: Pulane's insight — "In order to have a village, you need to be a villager" — reframes community engagement as an act of self-definition, not self-sacrifice.
- The Community Engagement Series: A pilot initiative bringing students, community partners, and other universities into the same room to collectively define what community engagement means and what it should become.
- Belonging Beyond Borders: Why your obligation to your community does not pause when you leave home — and how Stellenbosch itself becomes your village for as long as you are here.
MFM 92.6 is committed to amplifying the voices shaping Stellenbosch University's vision of being in service of society. Join us as we speak to the students, staff, and community partners turning that aspiration into lived practice.
Stream MFM 92.6: www.mfm.co.za
Follow us on Socials: @mfm926
In this episode of Lunch Club on MFM 92.6, Jacolette Kloppers sits down with Aqeelah Hendrickse, Training and Placement Coordinator at the Centre for the Advancement of Social Impact and Transformation (CASIT); Michelle Pietersen, Manager for Engaged Citizenship at CASIT; and Pulane Mtshali, SRC Chairperson and champion of social impact at Stellenbosch University.
Together, they challenge the assumption that community engagement is a one-directional act of generosity — and make the case for why every student's village extends far beyond their friend group.
What we cover in this episode:
- The Reciprocal Village: Why community engagement is not charity. Michelle and Pulane unpack how volunteering transforms students as profoundly as it does the communities they serve — building skills, confidence, and employability in ways no classroom can replicate.
- Redefining Community: CASIT's expanded vision of "social impact" moves beyond the traditional framing of communities in need to encompass society in its broadest sense — including businesses, institutions, and fellow students struggling on campus.
- More Than Money: The conversation confronts the myth that meaningful contribution requires financial resources. Time, care, and presence — what Pulane calls "being a villager" — are examined as the true currency of impact.
- A Buffet of Opportunities: From social justice and tutoring to healthcare and elder care, CASIT's Impacting Communities Through Volunteerism programme offers students more than ten categories of engagement, each designed around individual passion rather than institutional prescription.
- Experiential Learning in Practice: Aqeelah, herself a former Matie volunteer, reflects on how experiential learning — with no marks, no evaluations, and no right or wrong answers — gave her the skills that secured jobs she never thought she would land.
- Students at the Centre: The Student Community Engagement Series is designed so that students are not merely the subject of the conversation but active participants in shaping it — alongside community partners, alumni, and researchers from across the institution.
Key Resources & Highlights:
- The "Village" Principle: Pulane's insight — "In order to have a village, you need to be a villager" — reframes community engagement as an act of self-definition, not self-sacrifice.
- The Community Engagement Series: A pilot initiative bringing students, community partners, and other universities into the same room to collectively define what community engagement means and what it should become.
- Belonging Beyond Borders: Why your obligation to your community does not pause when you leave home — and how Stellenbosch itself becomes your village for as long as you are here.
MFM 92.6 is committed to amplifying the voices shaping Stellenbosch University's vision of being in service of society. Join us as we speak to the students, staff, and community partners turning that aspiration into lived practice.
Stream MFM 92.6: www.mfm.co.za
Follow us on Socials: @mfm926
