Staff and students of Stellenbosch University (SU) lent a helping hand to the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach on Mandela Day (Thursday 18 July).
"Stellenbosch University wants to contribute to the objective of Mandela Day by inspiring individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good," said Mr Gareth Cornelissen, Head of Matie Community Service (MCS).
Dr Jerome Slamat, Senior Director: Community Interaction at SU, added that there is a lot of goodwill under staff members and students and that many of them want to make a contribution.
Staff members and a number of senior students helped with, among other things, painting some of the rooms, covering boxes for the children's cupboards, sorting through clothes and making curtains.
Prof Maureen Robinson, Dean of the Faculty of Education, was one of the staff members who spent her 67 minutes of community service at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach.
"Mandela Day is a day on which people come together, united in what they can do for someone else and bonding for the greater good of South Africa," she said.
Prof Johan Hattingh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and chairperson of the board of the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach, said with this gesture participants honour former president Nelson Mandela and show appreciation for what he has done
According to Ms Jeanneret Momberg, a board member of the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach, they are grateful for the help and awareness created by this visit.
Mr Mervin Koopman of the Department of Microbiology said it is great helping others. "And it's for a good cause," he added.
Watch a video of the event.
In the spirit of Mandela Day, several activities are planned for Wednesday 24 July when students have returned to campus.
Max du Preez will be the speaker at a Discourse Café event hosted by SU's Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development (FVZS Institute). It starts at 07:00 in the AmaMaties Hub. Du Preez will be speaking about Madiba's legacy and students will have the opportunity to engage with him on this topic.
Estée Schroeder, SRC member for Community Interaction and HOPE Project liaison, has organised several activities at the Middelvlei school and aftercare centre. Student volunteers will paint the library and community hall, plant trees and play sports with the children.
Residences have also been encouraged to organise their own Mandela Day activities.
Between 12:00 and 14:00 students can participate in a "Chalk board" event during which they will be encouraged to write down the answer to the following question: How are you changing the world?
Staff and students will also participate in the Toasties for Tummies event coordinated by the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Rachel's Angels Trust, SU's Wellness Department and MCS and sponsored by Moore & Stephens Accounting firm. The aim is to prepare at least 4000 sandwiches that will be handed over to Stellenbosch Voedingaksie to distribute at various points in Stellenbosch.
Captions
Foto credit: Justin Alberts
Main photograph: Mr Gareth Cornelissen, Head: Matie Community Service, and Dr Jerome Slamat, Senior Director: Community Interaction at Stellenbosch University (SU) were very proud of the book case they had painted. They were part of a group of staff members and senior students of SU who spent their 67 minutes of community service on Mandela Day at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach.
IMG_9874: Reshma Kassanjee, a researcher at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) at Stellenbosch University, was one of the staff members who spent her 67 minutes of community service on Mandela Day at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach.
IMG_9894: David Matten, Bekwetu Bekele, Roux-cil Ferreira, Reshma Kassanjee and Cari van Schalkwyk, all associated with the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) at Stellenbosch University, worked hard to paint one of the rooms at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach. This was part of their 67 minutes of community service on Mandela Day.
IMG_9884: Lynnemore Scheepers, a research manager at the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) at Stellenbosch University, and Prof Maureen Robinson, Dean of the Faculty of Education, spent their 67 minutes of community service on Mandela Day covering boxes for the children's cupboards at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach.
IMG_9915: A big group of staff members and senior students from Stellenbosch University spent their 67 minutes of community service on Mandela Day at the Stellenbosch Youth Outreach. They painted rooms, sorted through clothes, covered boxes and made curtains, among other things.
