The Durban University of Technology (DUT) continues to break new ground in 2025 with the evolution of one its award-winning initiative, “Improving Lives in the Warwick Avenue Markets,” led by Professor Firoza Haffejee of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences. More than just a university project, this initiative has become a powerful platform for change-merging education, research, and community service to uplift some of Durban’s most marginalised communities.
Originally launched in 2022, the project gained recognition when it clinched first prize at the Engagement Showcase and Pitching Awards in 2022, receiving R25,000 in funding. Designed as a hands-on learning experience for students in epidemiology and public health, the initiative placed learners in the heart of the Warwick Avenue Markets, where they were tasked with observing real-world trading and environmental conditions and linking these to public health outcomes.
Through this experiential model, students produced detailed field notes and photographic evidence, pinpointing significant health risks. Working alongside informal traders, they helped implement practical, community-led solutions. These included organising large-scale clean-up campaigns to reduce waste and pollution, distributing mattresses to traders who sleep on concrete floors, providing secure storage containers for food and water, and leading educational drives focused on hygiene and pollution control.
This integration of academic content with civic responsibility exemplifies DUT’s mission to embed its educational model within real societal contexts, empowering students not only with knowledge, but with purpose.
Though formal funding was unavailable in 2024, the project’s energy did not wane. Students were only required to plan interventions as part of their coursework, yet many voluntarily turned those plans into action. Some sourced sponsorships and donations, while others dipped into their own pockets to bring their ideas to life.
One of the most impactful spin-offs during this period was the construction of greenhouses in Claremont, which supported a local subsistence farming community. This initiative addressed both environmental sustainability and food insecurity, illustrating the wide-reaching benefits of socially engaged student learning. Community members responded with enthusiasm and gratitude, forming bonds of mutual trust and respect that are now central to the project’s identity.
In 2025, the project enters an exciting new phase. Students are now participating in a design thinking initiative in collaboration with other departments within the Faculty of Health Sciences. This interdisciplinary approach aims to generate innovative, user-centred solutions tailored to community challenges, pushing the boundaries of how academic institutions engage with the world beyond their walls.
The academic footprint of the project continues to grow. It has generated research publications and conference presentations, showcasing its value as a model of decolonised, transformative education. By bridging theory and practice, the initiative contributes to DUT’s broader educational transformation objectives and aligns strongly with its ENVISION2030 strategic priorities.
From the heart of the Warwick Avenue Markets to the green spaces of Claremont, Prof Haffejee’s initiative demonstrates how higher education can be both locally grounded and globally relevant. It is a compelling example of how universities can foster real change by placing community engagement and student development at the centre of their mission.
As the project continues to grow in 2025 and beyond, it remains a shining example of DUT’s commitment to impactful education, social justice, and inclusive development-proving that meaningful change begins when learning steps out of the classroom and into the lives of the people it seeks to serve.
Pictured: DUT students, Zamantimande Shabangu, Nonzwakazi Siphuhlu and Onela Zoko (Leader) in the picture with donated items to the children to encourage others to also donate.
Sihle Nzima
