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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

UFS Celebrates Africa Day
2013-05-24

 

At the Africa Day Memorial lecture was, in front from left: Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations; Prof Henning Melber and Prof Heidi Hudson, Head of the Centre for Africa Studies. At the back is Prof Lucius Botes, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities.
Photo: Stephen Collett
24 May 2013


Prof Henning Melber: Lecture (pdf)

The University celebrated the 50th anniversary of Africa Day by hosting the annual Africa Day Memorial lecture. Hosted by the Centre for Africa Studies (CAS), celebrations included a day-long colloquium which looked at the continent from various disciplines.

Delivering the Africa Day and also his inaugural lecture, Prof Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor at CAS, spoke about the mystifying power of ideology and identity with regard to Africa and Africa (n) studies.

Before his lecture, senior professors from different faculties took part in a colloquium, delivering papers on a variety of topics relevant to the continent. In a session on historical-political legacies, Prof Hussein Solomon, Senior Professor in the Department of Political Science, spoke about Critical Terrorism Studies and its implications for Africa. He was joined by Prof Jo van As, Head of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, who spoke about the legacy of colonialism on the conservation of Africa’s river systems. Others topics which were addressed, included the development of sign language, cardiac medicine and science and mathematics education in Africa.

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