God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

05/23/2010 • 10:17 pm Comments Off on 23.05.2010 After the Ball of HOPE…

23.05.2010 After the Ball of HOPE…

Pentecost and the day after the Ball of HOPE – a day of reflection and rest –  maybe more of the latter.. 🙂
A great eve, fantastic guests and most things ran smoothly..  thanks to all and everybody assisting, helping and supporting and special thanks obviously my partner in crime, Anja and Petra from the Mediterranean Villa who helped a great deal with the preparation.

Tomorrow a new week which will see me travel again, this time to Hamburg. But before some days of work @ home – so to speak . Tomorrow is HOPE Cape Town day – meetings the whole morning to discuss a new website design, the portfolios of the senior staff and the budget for the new budget year 2010/11.  And then to the Westin Grand Hotel to settle the final bill and collect all outstanding items left after the ball… Since weeks I want to occupy my new office at pharmacology.. also will be done this week.

Time is flying again – and May almost gone and looking into my diary, June is also quite busy…

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, , , , , ,

05/22/2010 • 4:20 pm Comments Off on 22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

Coming back from Johannesburg yesterday afternoon – so many things happened in the last 24 hours… preliminary talk for recording the talk-show “Bei Beckmann” in Germany – to be screened on Monday, 7th of June 2010. Then farewell for friends leaving for Bangkok  to take on a new post. And of course all preparations for the Ball of HOPE taking place this evening. 320 guests are expected despite all the sports events taking also place today. All is ready now.. and soon the tuxedo will hopeful still fit 🙂

For the 13th time this meanwhile major charity event will take place – and I think back to the humble beginnings – 80 people and Archbishop emeritus, Desmond Tutu at the first event, at time still called “Dinner-Dance”. Lets hope that all is going well this eve – for the joy of the participants and the benefits of HOPE Cape Town.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , ,

05/01/2010 • 6:25 pm Comments Off on 01.05.3020 Ball of HOPE 22.05.2010

01.05.3020 Ball of HOPE 22.05.2010

I remember it very clearly: on the 15.05.1998 I organised the first ball in Cape Town and the reason at that time was a simply one: Coming to Cape Town as the new chaplain to the German-speaking Catholic Community at that time, I did not want to engage into bazar and similar events as organised by every parish around the world. I thought that having something extra-ordinary would maybe attract people and to make the first ball attractive, I contacted Archbishop em. Desmond Tutu who, to my surprise, agreed to be the guest of honour for this eve. The event at the ballroom of the gracious Mount Nelson Hotel at that time was mend to create funds for the social work of my small little flock.

In 2001 the theme changed and the “Ball of HOPE” was from now on the official label for this event. On board the Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Anja Tambusso Ferraz nee Spandern as head of the Cape Town office as cooperation partner.  With the opening of the Arabella Sheraton, now the Westin Grand Hotel, the Ball of HOPE moved to this top class hotel as it also supported HOPE Cape Town in other areas.

We are now celebrating the 13th event of this kind and meanwhile, the Ball of HOPE is a known event in the social calendar of Cape Town. It is nice to see how a spontaneous idea developed into a major event and I am proud to say, that this year – again – we are sold out. Thanks to all who supported and support on a continuous base this prestigious event. I am also grateful that the German-speaking Catholic Community decided to keep their bond with the Ball of HOPE.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, , , , , ,

03/24/2010 • 4:36 pm Comments Off on 24.03.2010 Ball of HOPE – 22.05.2010

24.03.2010 Ball of HOPE – 22.05.2010

This morning meeting with Anja from the Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Adolf from the German Speaking Catholic Community as well as Petra from the Mediterranean Villa to discuss where we are with the Ball of HOPE 2010.
We discussed program, technicalities and the usual nitti-gritties connected with such an event. Since years the Ball of HOPE is one of the major social events in Cape Town with dinner, life music, dance, raffle and first class entertainment. Up to 300 guests can enjoy an evening of fun and laughter, but also of reflection on those less fortune than themselves. Having fun and doing good is the motto. So if you are living in and around Cape Town don’t forget to book to avoid disappointment. And if you leave abroad, there is always a reason to visit Cape Town as our mainly German visitors every year show.

The Ball of HOPE is a fundraiser, but the first objective is to remind people of their fellow neighbors, mainly poor and under siege with the HIV pandemic. For me personally it is an evening where we can be a like a bridge bringing people together who otherwise would never meet. Two worlds are meeting, living so much apart but at the end of the evening people go home with joy in their hearts and others have future and hope because of this event. We are blessed to do this now already for the 13th time in a row. Thanks to the fantastic people in Cape Town and where ever they come from to join us on this eve.

This years entertainment program will include the duet of a vocal star and a promising newcomer – performing together with the Brooklyn Holy Cross Primary School choir – a feast for those who will have the privilege to listen to them.

Welcome to the Ball of HOPE – tickets or more info via the SA – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cape Town or Petra @ the Mediterranean Villa 021 423 21 88. Or send me an email, also good  🙂 See you there.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, , ,

03/19/2010 • 2:48 pm Comments Off on 19.03.2010 HOPE Cape Town Trust

19.03.2010 HOPE Cape Town Trust

In two hours the board of trustees of the HOPE Cape Town trust will congregate again at the Mediterranean Villa to discuss arising matters. The trust is still in the beginning, but the interest of the trustees is visible to make this trust a back up for HOPE Cape Town Association and to provide the necessary funds on the long-term run. This will take time and many efforts are medium term or long-term efforts, trying to guarantee the financial back up on the long-term run.

I am quite happy about our trustees and I trust that our meeting today will be a successful one. We will discuss the latest development at HOPE Cape Town Association before turning our attention to the efforts of our fundraising lady and her report back. A possible golf day and other events like the Ball of HOPE in May are on the agenda. But also BB BEE deals involving HOPE Cape Town Trust as a shareholder.

But this day was also about office work. I had to plan and arrange for the next travels, which will bring me to Johannesburg in April to attend the constitution of a national working group of the Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on renewable energy/energy efficiency. Then Thailand for a couple of holidays. In May I then will travel to the Vatican and Germany for talks and meetings. June holds Johannesburg and Brits in church matters, before I have to fly to Vienna to attend the World AIDS Conference. August will bring some talks in Germany and Austria. So far the planing and the bookings are almost all done. In October / November I will attend the HOPE Gala Dresden and the Berliner AIDS Gala as well as attend some meetings. In between I have committed to quite some services and church related functions. So the year is indeed planed – but I am looking forward to each and every of these encounters with other people. Traveling makes tired, but meeting people energizes again. So  there is the balance of Ying and Yang in this case and I am looking forward to the end of the year, where hopefully a lot of these talks, seminars, meetings have been beneficial to HOPE Cape Town – especially those, who we care for in the townships of Cape Town.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, , , , , , , ,

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