NWU's TRACTOR Awareness Rally: Tackling Memory Loss, One Stop at a Time

From 30 August to 12 September 2025, the North-West University is taking its latest community engagement campaign on the road, literally. The TRACTOR Awareness Rally (Together Rallying Across Communities To Overcome Remembrance-loss) is not just a catchy acronym; it’s a heartfelt initiative designed to drag dementia out of the shadows and into the conversation. And it’s doing it with a slow-moving symbol of endurance a tractor.

A Journey of Awareness

Starting in Potchefstroom and ending in Bredasdorp, the rally will rumble through towns across South Africa, raising awareness about the emotional and social challenges that come with dementia and Alzheimer’s. The symbolic tractor,decorated by local artists, isn’t just a nod to rural roots. It represents the resilience of caregivers and the slow, steady reality of living with memory loss.

At each stop, NWU students, staff and the Faculty of Health Sciences will roll up their sleeves and dig into serious issues in a refreshingly grassroots way. There’ll be talks from healthcare professionals, storytelling circles, support group sessions, and even mini-tractors handed out as tokens of remembrance. Because nothing says “we remember you” quite like a tiny tractor.

Behind the Wheel: Who’s Steering This?

The whole thing is the brainchild of Mrs Esmé Marks, but it’s a team effort all the way. Coordinated by NWU support staff and hosted by the Faculty of Health Sciences, the TRACTOR rally is an extension of NWU’s commitment to being more than just a bunch of people in lecture halls. It’s about blending research with real-world impact and putting community engagement into gear.

The Bigger Picture: Why TRACTOR Matters

According to De Jager et al. (2017), more than 187,000 South Africans over 60 are currently living with dementia, and that number’s heading towards 250,000 by 2030. But it’s not just the numbers that matter, it’s the human cost. Caregivers often find themselves under immense pressure: emotionally drained, financially strapped and socially isolated. TRACTOR is here to change that narrative.

The campaign aims to:

• Raise awareness and break the stigma

• Support families and caregivers

• Educate communities about memory loss

• Collect stories and conduct research

• Build local and international networks of support

And let’s not forget: fostering empathy isn’t a one-off event. It’s a continuous, deliberate act. TRACTOR’s mix of storytelling, education and hands-on engagement is designed to keep that empathy engine running.

Calling All Helpers: Hitch a Ride

NWU isn’t doing this solo. They’re calling on students, staff, local businesses, schools and community members to pitch in. Whether it’s helping with logistics, running events, collecting stories, or just reposting updates with #TRACTORforMemory, there’s a seat for everyone on this slow-moving, high-impact journey.

Volunteers can get involved in:

• Logistics & Planning: Setting up venues, travel plans, banners and stakeholder coordination.

• Event Coordination & Health Education: Programme management, speaker liaison, and promoting local health awareness.

• Research & Storytelling: Interviews, data collection and community narrative documentation.

• Media & Social Media Support: Sharing updates, visual storytelling, and driving digital engagement.

To get involved, please send a email to: Tractor.rally@nwu.ac.za

Follow the Route

The rally route is split into two parts:

• Potchefstroom to Calvinia

• Calvinia to Bredasdorp

Along the way, expect a healthy dose of conversation, community collaboration, and a few quiet moments of reflection, something that doesn’t always get airtime in our fast-moving world.

TRACTOR isn’t just a rally. It’s a movement, one that recognises the quiet struggle many families face and puts empathy back on the map. So, whether you’re joining the convoy or clapping from the roadside, remember: it’s not about the speed. It’s about staying the course.

Image: NWU