Environmental Health final year BTech student, Nokwanda Gamede raised the name of Durban University of Technology (DUT) high, when she was awarded best 2019 Environmental Health student at the Alfred Nzo awards.

The awards were held late last month (September 2019) at Plantfontein Conference Centre in Kimberley, Northern Cape Province.

The Alfred Nzo Environmental Health Excellence Awards are dedicated to the recognition of the handwork and extraordinary efforts by Environmental Health workers, students and academics who have portrayed excellence in the Environmental Health despite the difficult conditions they face daily.

The awards were introduced in 2002 as part of the Minister of Health’s Excellence in Health-Care Awards and have since been held annually since 2012, as part of the commemoration of the World Environmental Health Day event. The awards are held in memory of the late Mr Alfred Baphethuxolo Nzo.

For one to obtain the prestigious award, the student needed to have consistently achieved impressive and excellent academic results in Environmental Health studies. Demonstrated good leadership skills amongst peers and in providing guidance and assistance to others towards their studies.

For Gamede, she was ecstatic when she was awarded the prestigious award, “I feel so grateful to God for this achievement. He is the one who gave me the ability to do all that I have done.

She also thanked Joy Kistnasamy, Environmental Health Head of Department for encouraging her to put her name forward, and her mother for all the support and prayers. Gamede further added that for students to be part of such awards they needed to enrol in the Environmental Health course, get involved in community development programmes in and outside the campus, and practice what is being taught to better the community, as well as to work hard for the change they want to see in the world.

Pictured: Nokwanda Gamede

Nomkhuleko Thutshini