God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

07/06/2011 • 3:03 pm Comments Off on Madiba Day

Madiba Day

Everybody knows Nelson Mandela, worldwide he is one of the most recognised living icon for freedom and human rights. But not everybody knows that the UN has declared the 18.7. of every year the official Nelson Mandela Day.
And no, it is no public holiday, and the only thing, one is asked is to dedicate 67 minutes for a good cause – symbolising the 67 years, Nelson Mandela was sacrificing for a free South Africa and the recognition that human rights are for all human mankind without any difference. There is still some time until the 18.7. -but I guess you can already think of what you can do in the 67 minutes on the 18.7.2011. And maybe HOPE Cape Town might be a good cause to promote? Just an idea – just a suggestion for those reading the blog… 🙂

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Uncategorized, ,

07/04/2011 • 6:30 pm 2

Back in Cape Town…

After one week in Johannesburg back in Cape Town and back to normal work. The transformation of HOPE Cape Town, the relationship between the association and the trust in Germany and South Africa now need attention to detail. After 10 years of work from grass root till research it is time like in any other business to review, to assess and to transform: for an even better service to those marginalised by HIV and AIDS, but also by poverty and all the other challenges of life, which make the latter to a permanent run against all odds…

The next two Sundays I will supply for the German-speaking Catholic Community – it will be good to see all the friendly faces again and to say the mass in my mother tongue. I hardly can believe that it is almost 2 years that I left my post as the German chaplain.  Time is flying.

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

06/19/2011 • 2:46 pm Comments Off on Blessed – or Hiphop in church…

Blessed – or Hiphop in church…

I am blessed, that I experienced this morning again, when I celebrated my 25th anniversary of being a priest in the parish of Manenberg. In Cape Town, for many people Manenberg stands for gangsters, drugs, violence, fear, gangs, guns – and so it was maybe not unusual that the drivers of  a Ultraliquor store in town refused to deliver drinks to Manenberg on a Sunday morning, fearing for their lives. For me Manenberg is the place where I can feel that this is a place where one can touch who Christians call God. Different perceptions – but it was a great celebration with international flair:

HIPHOP in church

 

 

USA, Malaysia, Austria, Germany and South Africa were represented – the parish priest and my friend Fr Wim brought down the Holy Trinity (Trinity Sunday) so that people could understand and feel what it means for them in their lives. The youngsters from the Amy Biehl Foundation – Catholic Church School Aftercare program contributed with music, flutes and HipHop dance in front of the altar. Liturgical dance brought another aspect of life into the celebration. Afterwards music of brass instruments and a warm soup, coffee, tea and cool drink… A wonderful celebration in one of the most neglected parts of Cape Town.
I am blessed – did I say that already?

Manenberg parish

 

Filed under: Reflection, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

06/17/2011 • 5:18 pm Comments Off on Welcome in Manenberg

Welcome in Manenberg

This afternoon the World AIDS Awareness Expedition was due to have a reception in Manenberg after a Round Table at the German Consulate General. Unfortunately the team did not make it yet till Cape Town, still stuck somewhere between Kinshasa and the border to Angola – so the latest news. The kids of the Amy Biehl Foundation – RC Church afterschool care had prepared for this big event and so the organizers of HOPE Cape Town had decided to go ahead with the programme. Instead of the team it was my task to take the kids to follow the route of the expedition so far and to tell them about my experience with the almost 5 weeks, I joined the team in the Americas. Photos and video clips made the talk an easy to follow one and it was great to see those present feel to be part of a bigger picture, of a closer coming world, of a global village we often forget to realize in all the dramas of daily struggle.
Three team members, awaiting news from the team and supposed to join in Cape Town, almost the whole board of the HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Community Health Workers joined the parishioners and kids as well as Fr Wim. For me it was great to see how kids have learned on their instruments since beginning of the year. And the hiphop dancers were really marvellous. Not to forget the catering, so that nobody had to go home hungry. I guess we went home all with the feeling that ‘move the world” also takes place in Manenberg, thanks to many who assist within and outside the community.

Yesterday evening I gave a talk for students of the Duke University at the Mediterranean Villa – interesting to engage with young adults from the US, especially as two of the students are volunteer at our organisation. Once again worlds came together which are normally far away. Also that moves the world in many ways.
So as I write this blog entry, I am deeply moved by what I have seen, heard and encountered the last 24 hours. It is indeed a blessing to be part of bringing worlds together and maybe assist, together with others, to make the world a better place.

And for the expedition we all hope that they find a good way to continue they trip and their very important mission for the world.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, , , , , , , , , ,

06/02/2011 • 8:30 am Comments Off on Restructering process

Restructering process

NGO’s like companies in real life are on the constant outlook how to improve and how to be more efficient – and, even more important, how to serve better and achieve their objectives in a constantly changing environment. So also HOPE Cape Town, who is in the process of restructuring and will be headed by a director to be installed in the near future. But it does not end with a human resource decision. How to optimize the work, how to professionalise without losing the heart within the work. Also the HOPE Cape Town Trust has turned 5 this year and it will play a bigger role in the dealings with HIV and AIDS in the Western Cape. Not to forget the relationship between the local trust and the HOPE Kapstadt Stiftung in Germany. Such times are exciting, but also one is pushing thoughts forwards and backwards to achieve the optimum. Not an easy task, but a necessary one. And only if we are able to do this in a professional way the road ahead will be a success for the organisation. I have no doubt that we are on a good way and I wish I could see into a crystal ball to observe HOPE Cape Town in 5 or 10 years time.

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

Blog Categories

Follow God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE on WordPress.com

You can share this blog in many ways..

Bookmark and Share

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,711 other subscribers

Translation – Deutsch? Française? Espanol? …

The translation button is located on each single blog page, Copy the text, click the button and paste it for instant translation:
Website Translation Widget

or for the translation of the front page:

* Click for Translation

Copyright

© Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Rev Fr Stefan Hippler and HIV, AIDS and HOPE with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

This not withstanding the following applies:
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.