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20 December 2019 | Story Igno van Niekerk | Photo Igno van Niekerk
Towers of Hope serves the needy

Picture a typical Free State winter’s night: Biting chills, blustery winds, and piercing cold. Now picture yourself outside, with the bare minimum of protection in the form of clothing or cover. For many in the city of Bloemfontein, this is their reality. This vulnerable community is the focus of service by the Towers of Hope congregation and foundation (ToH), which is housed on the historic grounds of the Tweetoringkerk (Two Towers Church) in the city centre. As their name suggests, this foundation provides an outlook for the future that uplifts the vulnerable, those who are in need of it most. Its vision? To transform communities from vulnerability to ability by helping them to realise their God-given dignity.

For seven years now, Towers of Hope has been providing both pastoral and practical help to the inner-city community of Bloemfontein for eleven years now, under the guidance of Rev De la Harpe le Roux. Their assistance programmes include a daily soup kitchen, Thessa Outreach for women who find themselves in difficult circumstances, the Proud Clean Bloemfontein job-preparation programme (sponsored by local businesses), support of elderly through needlework classes and monthly food packages, as well as partnerships with other trusts, NGOs, and sharing of resources with other non-profit organisations (NPOs).

Melissa Opperman, a second-year Theology student, often takes part in what is called the ‘Pastor’s Restaurant’ on a Thursday evening, as part of the Thessa Outreach. She says, “Here we provide the ladies working on the street with a nice cooked meal and occasionally medical services. We became so close with these ladies that they reach out to us and talk to us freely, even when we see them outside their usual environment; they gladly greet us and share their stories with us.” Melissa says this had a huge impact on her, both as a female student and as one studying Theology. She mentions that she has come to the realisation that women are often seen as inferior, but in this theological, pastoral space, there is equality. In addition, she notes: “Not only in this space are we equal; we as women are able to do anything if we put our minds to it. It is nice to hear how some of the ladies have stopped working at night and started developing their own skills. It just shows that a little hope can go a long way.”

In addition to sharing in a physical sense, there is also a sharing of knowledge. Students from the Department of Practical and Missional Theology in the UFS Faculty of Theology and Religion are given the opportunity to experience what is known in the field as ‘diaconia’: serving God by caring for one’s fellow creatures. Students are taught how to minister to those in the congregation and community, and especially to those in need. In this way, they are able to learn from the example of fine work being done here at ToH. Rev Le Roux says: “The whole exposure and engagement is aimed at taking the students out of their comfort zones of ‘nice urban middle and upper middle-class churches’, and guiding them to engage with the principles acquired through the lectures at the UFS, in the context of poverty.”

Naomi Smith, who works in the administrative office of ToH, says: “De la Harpe is the heart and compassion behind Towers of Hope. He is humble, but often reminds us that the purpose of the project is to be concerned about the person in front of you — that little face, their names, this individual.” She adds, “He constantly tells us to treat everyone here with love (especially the vulnerable), because they need it more than most.”

AJ’s story echoes many that come through the cramped office from which this entire non-profit operates: After decades as a homemaker and loyal wife, her husband left her and put her out on the street without a cent or other support. Rebecca de Wit, manager: operations, and Naomi Smith, office administrator, are not only compassionate to those who come knocking at ToH; they do their utmost to assist these desperately needful ones in some of the most basic ways: finding a place to stay, compiling and printing copies of their CVs, or finding someone’s qualification papers.Their drive and passion to make a difference embodies their organisation’s motto: Valuing the city, valuing the vulnerable, valuing empowerment.

The effect has been substantial: Based on ToH’s reputation, more than 600 people regularly turn up on 25 December for the annual Christmas dinner. This year will be the 12th such event, and it is also an occasion where the business community makes use of the opportunity to give back to Towers of Hope and the vulnerable ones served by these selfless workers and comforters. The meal ingredients are donated by local enterprises and prepared by volunteers from a number of Bloemfontein congregations, while practical gifts for needy children, women, and men are provided through corporate sponsorships.

News Archive

UFS appoints Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector
2016-12-02

Description: Prof Francis Petersen  Tags: Prof Francis Petersen  

Prof Francis Petersen

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) is pleased to announce that it has decided to appoint Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

Announcing the decision to appoint Prof Petersen today (Friday 2 December 2016) during the quarterly Council meeting on the Bloemfontein Campus, the Chairperson of the UFS Council, Judge Ian van der Merwe, said the university was fortunate to be able to appoint a candidate of such good quality to the position.

Prof Petersen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Innovation at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic at the UFS, were in line for the position. The university’s Selection Committee expressed equal preference for both and the two candidates were therefore recommended to Council for the position.  
 
“It has been a truly participatory and transparent selection process, which has assisted in the Council being able to make this decision. The higher-education sector has been through a difficult and challenging time during the past few months and the Council is thankful that a leader like Prof Petersen can head the university in 2017 and beyond,” said Judge Van der Merwe.

In his statement of intent, which was submitted earlier as part of the application for the post, Prof Petersen indicated that it is important to imagine the UFS’s location in South Africa and Africa, to realise the challenges within this context, now and in the future, so as to sharpen the university’s focus to become a more inclusive, academic excellent institution, embedded in a culture of innovation. “Therefore, the ideal of academic excellence must be supported by an institutional framework of diversity and inclusivity. The Academic Project should focus on a unique educational experience for every UFS student, the enhancement of student throughput-rate in academic programmes through dedicated academic support, graduate attributes, and curriculum change and renewal,” he said. He furthermore stated that research and innovation must focus on impact and international visibility. “It is thus not only the increase in research and innovation output, but the quality and impact thereof.” 

Prof Petersen was previously the Dean of Engineering and the Built Environment at UCT. He brings to the position of Vice-Chancellor and Rector his extensive experience of management in both the industry and academic sectors. He has been the executive head of strategy at Anglo American Platinum and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Cape Technikon (now Cape Peninsula University of Technology). He is a member of the UCT Council, non-executive director on the Board of Pragma Holdings, non-executive director on the Board of the Unlimited Group, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Seedcap (Venture Capital) Trust. Among others, he previously served as member on the Board of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Advisory Council on Innovation, and the Council of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

He graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BEng (Chem Eng), MEng (Metal Eng), and PhD (Eng) degrees and completed a short course on Financial Skills for Executive Management. He is a recipient of the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Award for research excellence, and was visiting professor at the Cape Technikon and extraordinary professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University. He is a regular reviewer of journals, and member of a range of editorial boards for international journals.

Prof Petersen is also a registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa and a Fellow of both the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the South African Academy of Engineers. 

Prof Petersen succeeds Prof Jonathan Jansen, who stepped down as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS on 31 August 2016. An international executive search agency specialising in academic appointments has assisted the UFS Council in its search for top-quality candidates.

 

Released by:

Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393

 


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