God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Dear Friends and Supporters of HOPE Cape Town

Nothing is more constant than change (Heraklit)

 I always believed that for every founder of an organisation there is one duty which is of utmost importance, whether in a company or in an NGO, and that duty is to secure a smooth and timely succession plan.  Ensuring that the transfer of responsibility happens calmly and without too much excitement or disruption is vital for any organisation.

Already in 2018 I engaged with the trustees of the HOPE Cape Town Trust, and together we developed a strategy and created a transition period with clear rules and responsibilities for changes within the organisation.

Dr Izane Reyneke has taken over as CEO dealing with all day-to-day business and Mrs Marlene Whitehead has taken over as program manager of the organisation. Both are working in their new positions now for more than a year with diligence and dedication. Mrs Carole Armstrong Hooper will chair the two HOPE Cape Town Trust board meetings.

In the last two years, HOPE Cape Town has created two new positions to facilitate this transition and at the same time to step up the professionalism of the work done. The launch of the campus “The Nex – Indawo Yethu” marked the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the organization, which made these structural changes even more meaningful.

I will not be disappearing or turning my back on HOPE Cape Town, far from it, my role within the organisation will also change. For the next 2 years, my focus will be on marketing and fundraising for HOPE Cape Town in Europe and the USA.  I don’t need to explain the impact, Covid-19 and the ongoing Ukraine war has on fundraising, and it is amazing how the plan discussed in 2018 now fits nicely into what is necessary for the organisation’s sustainability going forward. To cut flight times and to be more flexible, my home base will be Malta for the time being.

I will remain a Trustee, part of the Executive Board and the Finance Committee for the time being. Practically, I will split my time between South Africa, Europe, and the USA. Currently, I spend 2/3 of my time in South Africa and 1/3 travelling, from now on this will be reversed.

To be able to take the initiative to plan and implement ‘stepping back’ into the second row is indeed a blessing, and it also allows the organisation to calmly develop and grow. Nobody is irreplaceable. To sit and to rest on one’s laurels until called to higher service in heaven is not my style, nor does it serve any purpose.

As founder of the HOPE Cape Town Trust, I am looking forward to supporting the organisation in my new role and responsibilities. I am also looking forward to meeting many of our European and US supporters more frequently. It is indeed exciting and a blessing to change roles and being able to serve the organisation in different ways.

My plea to you: Please continue to support HOPE Cape Town in the future. As I always say, we, the people on the ground, are only the extended arm of your generosity and solidarity.

Together, we are the HOPE family, bringing tangible hope to those less fortunate.

Best

Rev Fr Stefan Hippler

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, Reflection, South Africa, The Nex - Indawo Yethu, Africa, cape town, change, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, south africa