A bottle filled with messages of hope might soon be drifting in the ocean after the Student Representative Council (SRC) launched Matie Hope on Friday. This is an initiative to stimulate a conversation around Hope on campus.

Deon Scharneck, a first year theology student came up with the idea to put 23 000 messages of hope in a bottle, throw it in the sea at Cape Point and see where it washes out.

Scharneck says the idea of Hope in a Bottle came to him while he was thinking of the HOPE Project. Matie Hope links with the HOPE Project and will be encouraging students to engage in a conversation around hope – not only on campus, but also with students from other universities.

The Rector, Prof Russel Botman, the champion of the HOPE Project, explained to students that student success is one of the key focus points of the project and that students stand at the heart of the project. “We want to add value to our world and bring about positive change. And if we do it as a group we can make a significant change.”

Nadia Marais, SRC for Unity en Dialogue, challenged students to not only dream, but to do and to put vision into action.

Another student, Nataly Pietersen, a third year BA student, proposed that students should write songs about hope which can be performed and judged in a competition.

“In this way we can voice our opinions. I challenge students to not only think about our future, but also that of generations to come.”

Caption: At the launch of Maties HOPE, from the left,  Prof Russel Botman (SU Rector), Deon Scharneck, Nataly Pietersen, Nadia Marais (SRC, Unity and Dialogue), and  Gerhard Wiese (SRC chairperson). (Photo: Hennie Rudman, SCPS).