Freelance Reporter
Roving Reporters
Total years of experience :14 years, 10 Months
Projects: Ocean Stewards/ Marine Conservation
Fuleni Coal Mine Conflict/ Alternative energy/ Social inequality
• Proofing and editing
• Writing environmental articles
• Transcribing
• Conducting interviews
• Conducting primary and secondary research
• Analyzing and making sense of collated data
• Identifying important topics and research areas
• Playing a mentor role to final year Journalism students from Durban University of Technology, assisting with the construction of articles and editing students’ articles, so that they are perfect for publishing.
• Drafting story pitches and proposals for publishers and funders.
• Presenting story ideas to possible funders and publishers.
Projects: 1. MBA Thesis by Thoko Shabangu: An Investigation of the relationship between Employment Equity and staff motivation at Pick ‘n Pay, Durban.
2. BTech Module assignment by Sakhile Simon Bhengu: The effects of the one garden project on improving food security and poverty alleviation for D, N, M, Q and W section in the Umlazi community, Kwa Zulu Natal
• Edit and proofread, making track changes to proposals and thesis chapters.
• Provide feedback and advice over the phone and via email.
• Make suggestions on structural improvement.
• Highlight academic shortfalls and content changes and suggestions.
• Research topic, so that I might provide better guidance on where individual should add onto thesis, especially in the case of theoretical frameworks.
• Assisting in preparing documents into their final form, which may involve reordering or rewriting segments of it to improve readability, clarity, or accuracy.
• Alert the writer of inconsistency in the material, adjust the language to the desired audience, and make sure the document outcome are clear and achieved.
• Reviewing the flow of the document, duplication of concepts, as well as inconsistencies and bringing them to the writer’s attention.
• Doing research on the topic and concept and identify inconsistencies and additional information that must be included so that the concept is correctly presented.
• Ensuring that the text conforms to a certain style; and ensure that elements such as captions, tables, or footnotes, are clear and checked against the text.
• Checking and correcting design elements such as heading and typeface styles, page numbers and so forth.
• Ensuring that the referencing is correct and complies with the Harvard method.
• Checking that references are quoted correctly.
• Correcting errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Ensuring that the meaning of the text is clear.
Projects: JustAddGreen - Enterprise development/ Green sector initiative.
SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme.
Fragile States research.
• Proofing and editing articles, manuals and project related documents.
• Writing opinion pieces and project related articles for publication.
• Assisting in the distribution of articles written for publication purposes.
• Researching and collating data.
• Data capturing.
• Creating social media promotion adverts and weekly business or project related social media posts.
Projects: Community Development Workers Program for the Western Cape Department of Local Government. Swartland Municipality for the Malmesbury Box Park Project
• Compiling proposals to be handed in as bids for government and private sector research tenders.
• Compiling interview questions for participants and various stakeholders.
• Organising and conducting interviews (including surveys and focus group discussions) with members of the community, government officials, civil society groups and various organizations.
• Liaison with stakeholders and clients regarding research; organizing meetings, discussing research strategies and managing questionnaire related aspects of the research project, to ensure that the client is satisfied with the progress.
• Supervising and briefing temporary employees or fieldworks on research details and how to conduct interviews.
• Facilitating interviews and questionnaire capturing process.
• Researching social development legislation and government policies and their effect on the community.
• Compiling literature reviews and analyzing data collected from interviews and case studies.
• Compiling reports with recommendations on the research done for the relevant stakeholders.
• Assisting with recruiting and selecting new employees or outsourced consultants.
Grades taught: Pre-school to 6th grade
• Compiling daily lesson plans and teaching English using the provincial textbooks additional educational websites and various forms of multimedia.
• Teaching preschool to 6th grade students English as a second language. This included teaching; grammar, conversational English, reading lessons and figurative work such as poetry and song lyrics analysis.
• Managing the classroom by setting up classroom rules and code of conduct, disciplining students, as well and assisting and encouraging them.
• Invigilating during tests and exams, ensuring that no cheating or communication between students takes place. Helping students with general questions that are not directly related to the material. Ensuring that every student has an equal amount of time to complete the test/exam. Handing out and explaining test/ exam rules and methods of answering the questions. Ensuring that every student hands in their work once the testing is complete. Dealing with disruptions quickly and effectively, should they arise.
• Reviewing and managing the performance of the students by setting and marking tests.
• Organising and filling books using the Rhodes University Library system.
• Assisting with library registrations for students and members of the Grahamstown community.
• Weekly reconciliations of shelved books and books that have been taken out by students.
• Using the Rhodes University Intranet to locate lost books, issue out books reserved online by patrons.
• Checking in and out books and handling circulation queries and complaints.
• Assisting library users with intranet library system used to locate books, accessing electronic journals, as well as helping with the use of photocopy machines and scanners.
• Assisting patrons with complaints or referring them to relevant library staff members who can assist.
Level taught: Second year students
• Preparing for weekly tutorials by reading and researching on theories and relevant case studies. Planning fun activities related to the course content, making use of media reports and using case studies to help students understand complex theories. Discuss requirements and tips for answering weekly tutorials or whatever upcoming assignments.
• Marking weekly tutorials, tests and essays. Making notes and corrections of students’ scripts. Doing retrospective discussions in class on general mistakes made by students. Sharing ideas and information on how students can improve their work.
• Assisting lecturers in the setting of tests, essays and examinations.
• Tutoring two groups, with roughly 34 students in each class. Discussing the past weeks’ lecturer material and handling academic and administrative concerns, for example; department’s referencing rules, deadlines and submission rules and process and discussions on how work should be structured.
• Invigilate during tests and exams. Ensuring that students understand and respect the University’s exam rules. Handing out and collecting exam scripts, question papers and attendance slips. Reconciling the student head and the number of scripts handed in the exam venues.
• Working as a mediator between students and lecturers when students have problems or complaints related to structural or department issues.
• Assisting with academic registration for first and second year students. Providing students with information such as course handbooks / textbooks and course outline, lecture schedules and timetables.
• Attend weekly meetings with other tutors and lecturers to discuss student’s progress, complaints and to receive training as tutors on course content and how to deal with students.
Level taught: Second year students
• Preparing for weekly tutorials by reading and researching theories and relevant case studies. Planning fun activities related to the course content, making use of media reports and using case studies to help students understand complicated theories. Discussing requirements and tips for answering weekly tutorials or upcoming assignments.
• Marking weekly tutorials and occasionally tests and essays. Making notes and corrections of students’ scripts. Doing retrospective discussions in class on general mistakes made by students. Sharing ideas and information on how students can improve their work.
• Tutoring two groups, with roughly 15 students in each class. Discussing the past weeks’ lecturer material and handling academic and administrative concerns.
• Assist students that have problems or complaints related to structural or department issues, working as a mediator between students and lecturers.
• Attend weekly meeting with other tutors and lecturers to discuss student’s progress, complaints and to receive clarity and training as tutors on course content and how to deal with students.
Level taught: First year students
• Preparing for weekly tutorials by reading and researching on theories and relevant case studies. Planning fun activities related to the course content, making use of media reports and using case studies to help students understand complicated theories. Return marked assignments, tests or weekly tutorials. Discuss requires and tips for answering new weekly tutorials or whatever upcoming assignments.
• Marking weekly tutorials and occasionally tests and essays. Making notes and corrections of students’ scripts. Doing retrospective discussions in class on general mistakes made by students. Sharing ideas and information on how students can improve their work.
• Tutor two groups, with roughly 15 students in each class. Discussing the past weeks’ lecturer material and handling academic and administrative concerns, for example; department’s referencing rules, deadlines and submission rules and process and discussions on how work should be structured.
• Working as a mediator between students and lecturers when students have problems or complaints related to structural or department issues.
• Attend weekly meeting with other tutors and lecturers to discuss student’s progress, complaints and to receive clarity and training as tutors on course content and how to deal with students.
• Conducting university campus tours for first year students.
• Facilitating HIV/AIDS workshops for first year students
• Organizing and assisting SRC with the orientation week events
• Facilitating cultural, gender and social diversity workshops for first year students.
• Assisting students with issues related to registration, finding accommodation outside of campus. Helping lost first years and providing them with support and advice on student life and issues.
Thesis title: Shembe Religion’s Integration of African Traditional Religion and Christianity: A Sociological Case Study. • Becoming a member of the Golden Key, an international honour society. The society focuses on academic excellence, leadership development and community service.
Subjects: Environmental Sociology (63%), Methodology (55%), Development Studies (67%), Community Justice (73%), Research Project (75%). Thesis title: Modernity as a hostile and intolerant environment: Focusing on issues around culture and the expression of culture, making specific reference to Xhosa initiation forms of expression and how they are received by Rhodes University as a modern society.
Subjects: Philosophy, Art History, Psychology, Organisational Psychology, Sociology, Political Science and International Relations Thesis title: Life in the Time of Risk in Rhodes University: Racism and Xenophobia.
Subjects: History (A), Art (C), Drama (B), English (B), Mathematics (D), Zulu 1st language (D).
