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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. 

News Archive

Support our FNB Shimlas as they play against the NWU Pukke
2011-02-16

 
Jamba Olengu in action.
Photo: Van Zyl Naudè

On Monday, 7 March 2011 Steinhoff International will be presenting the last Varsity Cup match for the season on Xerox Shimla Park, as the FNB Shimlas take on the NWU Pukke. Do not miss this mini intervarsity! The Shimlas need your support.

The match, which starts at 19:00, will be preceded by matches between the FNB UFS U.19 vs. the NWU u.19 (15:00), and the FNB UFS u.21 vs. the NWU u.21 (16:30). So, take your seat early and also watch as, for the first time during a Varsity Cup match in Bloemfontein, parachuters will land on Xerox Shimla Park. Look out for this sight between 18:30 and 19:00.
 
Let us arrive in our numbers and make it a record breaking crowd to support our FNB Shimlas. Big prizes are once again at stake. Carling Black Label is giving away two Apple iPods. Tickets will be sold at the gate and will put you in the draw for one of these incredible prizes.
 
Campus residences and associations who rocks up in the biggest numbers, is the most visible and who is making the loudest noise stand a chance to win a six month DSTV subscription.
 
Tickets will be sold for R10, fifty percent less than the normal price.

The normal price is R20 per ticket, but a limited number of tickets will be sold at R10 per ticket for students who do not have a royal blue supporter shirt on. These tickets are available from the south ticket office at Xerox Shimla Park. They will be sold on a “first come first served” basis. Once the tickets have been sold out, the normal price of R20 would apply once again. So be at the field early and save R10 on your ticket.

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