CPUT’s Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit collaborated with the Robben Island Museum (RIM) as part of an initiative to celebrate Mandela Day.

The late President’s birthday, 18 July, was declared as Mandela Day by the United Nations in 2009 and encourages people to spend 67 minutes to support a charity or serve in their local community.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit (SLCE) at CPUT, said CPUT and RIM were invited to be part of the Mandela Bridges initiative by the global Ubuntu Leaders Academy, Instituto Pe Antonio Vieira (IPAV) in Portugal.

The initiative aimed to symbolically name 67 bridges around the world as “Mandela Bridges” for Mandela Day and was tested in Lisbon in 2016.

According to the Academy the gesture aimed “to signal one of the dimensions of Mandela's legacy which was his ability to build bridges, no matter how difficult it seemed to be”.

The CPUT and RIM collaboration selected the V & A Waterfront swing bridge near the boardwalk to the RIM ferry. A banner reading “Mandela Bridge (18-7.2020)” and another banner reading “Today’s the day to build bridges” were hung there on Mandela Day.

Scheepers said CPUT’s student Ubuntu Ambassadors were also asked to submit pictures of bridges in their hometowns to symbolise their commitment to ubuntu. The Service-Learning Civic Engagement Unit has been remotely coordinating the activities with students and partners leading to the Mandela Day celebrations.

The initiative coincided with a global E-Summit to promote “shared responsibility” and “global solidarity"” in the fight against Covid-19 given its health, economic, and social consequences. Several world personalities were invited to share their perspectives and proposals on how we can together overcome the impact of Covid-19. The E-Summit was co-chaired by Prof John Volmink, President of the Ubuntu Global Network and former acting Vice-Chancellor of CPUT, and José Ramos Horta, a 1994 Nobel laureate.

The 67 Mandela bridges were presented to the global audience at an on-line conference.  The contributions and reflections of the CPUT’s Student Ubuntu Ambassadors and RIM ambassadors were included in the conference contributions. 

Vuyo Mayongo, RIM’s Programmes officer in the Public Heritage Education Department, believes that “Mandela is a powerful symbol of political imprisonment and representation of those who struggle for freedom under oppressive regimes. RIM communicates Mandela’s ideals and values of freedom, the triumph of the human spirit, democracy, and the culture of human rights through building young ambassadors through nation-building programmes. During this pandemic, Mandela’s leadership still prevails to build our societies”.

Scheepers said she hoped that “students will build their leadership abilities and be encouraged to find ways to construct bridges across the cultural, economic, educational and social divides in our society. The building bridges metaphor resonates with our mission to contribute positively by building social citizenry, servant leadership and the spirit of Ubuntu”.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT staff and students have once again made a valuable contribution to the success of the annual Jazz on the Rocks Festival, which was held at the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve on the West Coast.

The festival not only boosts tourism to the Paternoster area but also helps to empower young people through skills development.
Last year CPUT’s Town and Regional Planning and Architecture Department joined forces with Camissa Solutions to train youngsters from the area in mapping skills and the project was extended this year.

Jacqui Scheepers, manager of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit at CPUT, says that this year staff and students from the Faculties of Informatics and Design and Health and Wellness Sciences worked hand in hand with Camissa Solutions.

Town and Regional Planning students trained local youth in the art of map reading. which they would use to assist guests find their plots during the festival, while Emergency Medical Care students worked in shifts to support the medical teams on site.

“Together with the Service-Learning Unit, lecturers like Nicholas Pinfold (Department of Town and Regional Planning), Navindhra Naidoo, Llizane Mcdonald and Daglin Thomas (Department of Emergency Medical Sciences) were instrumental in the launch, coordination and implementation of the project on site before and during the festival. In partnership with Camissa Solutions, the next phase will include follow up training sessions with unemployed West Coast youth.”

She said the students did CPUT proud with their professional attitude and theoretical knowledge of their disciplines. Clarence Ford from Camissa Solutions looks forward to a continued fruitful relationship with CPUT.

“Together with CPUT we are building communities.”

Dale Sparrow, a fourth-year EMS student says the project was a great experience for final year students to develop their managerial skills.

“Setting up a medical unit in the field is an important aspect for our future qualification,” he says.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Community Engagement Student Academy (CESA) project team, called the Community Connectors, recently visited the Siyafunda community library, which is based in a garage in Lavender Hill.

The academy affords student groups the opportunity to design their own programme and activities when engaging their targeted community organisation. These projects are aligned to Vision 2030 and the building of partnerships within society.

Apart from the Siyafunda community library, John and Gail Nicholson also started a feeding scheme about 15 years ago to help address the needs of the youth in the community.

The excitement amongst the Community Connectors was evident as they prepared their activities for the engagement with the learners from the community.

Jacqui Scheepers, Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Units, Centre for Community Engagement and WIL said: “What impressed me was that the students made time to research and rehearse their stories, develop quizzes, and even make their own props for the enactment of their stories. I continue to be inspired by communities who remain hopeful despite their numerous socio-economic challenges.

“Investing in the development of young minds will contribute to the upliftment of our communities and brings hope and support to organisations dedicated to serving others”.

Students interacted with the Lavender Hill learners who frequent the Siyafunda community library. Activities included storytelling, drama and plays outlining the importance of literacy and expanding knowledge through reading. During the session, learners were extremely engaged and displayed an eagerness to learn. “The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit must also commend the continued support from the internal CPUT Library services department for the collection and donation of books to the community library. This is an ongoing collaboration which will expand the footprint of the university”.

David Haarhoff, who is currently assisting the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit, stated: “The concept of bend the tree whilst it is still young, stands out for me. The children within the Lavender Hill community are exposed to various forms of life challenges including poverty, gangsterism, drugs, abuse and so much more. As a University, we have an obligation from a corporate social responsibility point of view, to bring hope to these challenging situations.

“We want to inspire the children to rise above their circumstances and to believe that they can have a successful life. The circumstances that they are currently exposed to do not have to be a norm or be a way of life. Our goal is to go about our work and plant a seed wherever we go. I am very proud of our student group for the excellent execution of this project.”

Community Engagement Academy Alumni and CESA student assistant, Sydney Hlongwane, a fourth-year Advanced Diploma in Project Management student, said: “Saturday’s project was great. We performed fun skits, distributed books and spent time with awesome kids. I was impressed by their curiosity and smart questions. They were so engaged and eager to learn. It made me happy to see them smile and have fun. These kids are so smart and talented. They are going to do great things in the future”.

Scheepers concluded: “The Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit will continually strive to make a positive impact in communities through the dedication and passion of CESA leaders and alumni”.

Written by CPUT News
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