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24 July 2025 | Story Lunga Luthuli | Photo Supplied
Mandela Day event at Heidedal Child and Youth Centre
Attending the Mandela Day event at Heidedal Child and Youth Centre, from left to right: Prof Joseph Pali, Associate Professor in the Department of Practical and Missional Theology; Bishop Billyboy Ramahlele, Director of Community Engagement; Jeannet Molopyane, Director of UFS Library and Information Services; Prof John Klaasen, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion; Caroline Nombula, Heidedal Child and Youth Care Centre; and Kegomodicwe Phuthi, Assistant Director for Marketing and Community Engagement at UFS Library and Information Services.

In a powerful display of its commitment to societal transformation, the University of the Free State (UFS) marked Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July with a collaborative outreach initiative at the Heidedal Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC). 

Driven by the theme of empowerment through education and creativity, the Faculty of Theology and Religion, Library and Information Services (LIS), Community Engagement Office, School of Financial Planning Law, and UFS Makerspace partnered to officially launch a library at the centre – a milestone aimed at fostering a love of reading and academic development among the youth.

Jeanette Molopyane, Director of LIS, emphasised the lasting impact of the project. “The establishment of this library is about making a meaningful and enduring difference in the lives of these children. Through regular interaction with books and the reading club, we aim to inspire a love for reading that will enhance intellectual growth, build confidence, and open doors to a brighter future,” she said. 

Molopyane added that the initiative reflects UFS’s broader mission to empower communities and support the development of future leaders beyond the borders of its campuses. 

Prof John Klaasen, Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion, underscored the importance of engaged scholarship in meaningful research. “This was not just a day of service but a demonstration of what is possible through collaboration. It reflects a theology and religion that serves beyond the classroom and affirms our collective role in shaping a better future for all,” he noted. “Mandela Day reminds us of our calling to reconciliation, compassion, and shared responsibility – values that must anchor our teaching, research, and outreach.”

The initiative left a profound impression on the Heidedal CYCC. Carolina Nombula, representing the Centre, shared the gratitude of the staff and children: “Mandela Day brought a deep sense of joy, belonging, and dignity. The library, especially, is life-changing – it provides a safe, inspiring space for learning, imagination, and personal growth. It reminds our children that they matter, their dreams are valid, and they are not forgotten.”

Through collaborative efforts such as this, the UFS continues to give tangible expression to its mandate as a caring institution – one that champions opportunity, nurtures potential, and works towards a more equitable and inclusive society. 

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Sculpture project brings new dimension to Main Campus
2010-11-16

Noriah Mabasa, Unity is power: Let us be united (2010), fig wood, 3200 x 1700 x 1400 mm.

The first sculptures in a project to establishment a diverse collection of sculptures on our Main Campus were erected in October 2010. Artists were commissioned to create a number of sculptures.

The funds for the project were made available through a grant from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).

This project aims to create an altered environment that provides visible, tangible symbols of change and reconciliation. It also aims to enrich the educational and multicultural experience of staff and students with these areas.

Renowned Venda artist Noriah Mabasa has created a three-metre-high wooden sculpture, “Unity is power: Let us be united”, that was placed outside the new computer laboratory near our UFS Sasol Library. The work consists of several grouped figures celebrating the coming together of many diverse people.

Another artist from Venda, Azwifarwi Ragimana, has been working in collaboration with Gallery 181 in Johannesburg and produced a group of sculptural benches that was placed in the garden behind the Main Building.

Local artists are also involved in this initiative: Jaco Spies, lecturer in our Department of Fine Arts, as well as ceramist Dina Grobler and artists from the Tshiamo Art and Crafts Project are working on a mosaic at a site known as the “philosophers” circle.’

The project will continue in 2011. We can also expect works from leading South Africa artists such as Willem Boshoff and Pat Mautloa.

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