“Your purpose in life should have an element of helping others to excel” Community engagement is an important part of UP life, and even forms part of the curriculum. Learn from an engineer who starts work at 4am, see how the simple act of letter writing is a gift for both parties, find out how we can all contribute to someone’s future and why caring for animals is good for humans.
Write a gift Author: Mecayla Maseka
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any people felt isolated and lonely as a result of COVID-19 restrictions that prevented people from visiting one another. One group felt this most keenly: elderly residents at senior homes who needed to be isolated from human contact and who missed the laughter their grandchildren brought with them on each visit. Michelle Kretzschmar, a microbiology student at UP and house committee member of Azalea residence, put forward an initiative at her residence called Adopta-Grandparent, which entails writing a letter to grandparents at the Ons Tuis, Van Rensburg and St Johns Home.
“Children and students are sometimes scared to engage with older people,” says Kretzschmar. “Taking an interest in them truly opened our eyes. Through the Adopt-a-Grandparent programme, we now have the opportunity to get to know them and learn from their amazing and interesting experiences.” Kretzschmar delivered all the letters to the homes. “Handing out the letters was such a special experience,” she says. “One lady couldn’t resist the suspense and immediately opened and read hers. I’m really passionate about this programme and hope this will be an ongoing project for our residence.”
Follow your calling Author: Primarashni Gower
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rofessor Wynand Steyn, Head of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Civil Engineering, actively encourages community engagement. “It provides an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, develop an appreciation for your privileges, and ensure that you do not live a selfish life. It should not be a once-off activity but should become a habit.”
Professor Wynand Steyn, Head of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Civil Engineering,
For him Mandela Month is a reminder that each of us has a calling and purpose in life. “If we do not understand and follow our calling, we miss our purpose. Whatever your purpose in life is, it should have an element of helping others to excel. Various communities have a saying
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that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. I believe it takes a community of colleagues, mentors and others to raise a competent, capable and mature adult too. ”He believes students are the reason that academic institutions exist, and it is the responsibility of academics to guide them on a path of discovery. “They are a huge responsibility, as they are the future of the profession and the people that will form the world for the next generation. “Engaging with students allows me to see the world in ways that are sometimes uncomfortable yet part of someone’s reality. Such insights should allow us as academics to grow with them.”
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