AFS Bloemfontein: background. A Snapshot
Dedicated to promoting intercultural learning and global citizenship, the AFS SA national staff and Board members led by me Wendy, me Palesa and me Mbali made a way into Bloemfontein in June 2015. This date became memorable as the re-launching of the AFS Bloemfontein Chapter. With steady and dedicated help and training from the Head Office, the chapter grew swiftly with volunteers, hosting families, and members’ interactions. The not-so-smooth yet successful and insightful hosting occurred with profound, hilarious, and learning curve stories. Some historic members that are still present include the Lumbu, Mosioa, Mthethwa, and Dichabe families. Through local engagement, this Chapter enables and bring the mission of AFS to life with about ten hostings since 2015.
The purpose of the event.
The chapter resolved to execute the campaign in two separate phases. Phase 1 would be strategic stakeholders and second phase for the community at large with emphatic target audience of schools, students, educators, families, and volunteers.
The awareness campaign’s purpose was to:
- Enlighten the Bloemfontein locals of the existence of the AFS Bfn Chapter, share the history of AFS and the need for its existence.
- Share about the opportunities of hosting AFSers, study abroad as an exchanged learner, and volunteering.
- The chapter wants to build relationships with learning institutions, families, and communities to help the youth enjoy the benefits of critical intercultural skills.
The event and the impact.
A successful, intimate, and reflective event was held on the 31st of May 2025 at the Bon Hotel, Bloemfontein. The chapter remembered the loss of me Wendy who was pivotal to the Chapter formation. While Eunice High School learners attended online, young learners from Tsoseletso, Eunice & Kruitberg schools attended physically as well as Dorah Day Care centre.
The day was graced by the presence of me Palesa, the former AFS SA Board Chairperson and presently the national advisory Board member, the National CEO Mr Adams, and the two HO interns who assisted with the event arrangements. Me Bantsi the Chapter Treasurer, appreciated the beautiful experience of hosting the interns.
In his speech, Mr Adams mentioned that AFS is owned by volunteers who also elect the Board to drive the vision & mission of mission is to provide intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to create a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world. Their vision is to ensure this future by fostering active global citizens—individuals whose compassion and ethics inspire them to lead lives and make decisions that improve the world. He highlighted AFS’s core values of peace, global competence and responsibility to build abled citizens, encouraged intercultural dialogue, community involvement by showing how joining AFS builds empathy, leadership, education by creating global experiences through students exchange who will teach the global stance. He also emphasised a need for hosting families for active global citizens & experiences.
It was an exciting event as those who attended committed to host, to volunteer and to send. The highlight of the day was when Mr Adams offered learnerships for an online course with the Pennsylvania university for our five leaners who attended the event. The learners are: Boha Khoase, a grade 7 pupil of Eunice Primary School; Olerato Sethibe, a grade 1o pupil of Tsoseletso high school; Neo Matle, a grade 10 pupil of Tsoseletso high school; Zoey Motsumi, a grade R learner from Dorah Day Care Centre, and a grade 7 from Brandwag Primary, Simangaliso Nkosi. The teachers who accompanied the learners, were thrilled by this lifetime learning opportunity.
Beyond the event.
We are opportune as a chapter to nurture intercultural understanding and global citizenship through community events and training as awareness efforts to connect various stakeholders to AFS’s transformative journeys.
The chapter is planning to embark on the next phase of inviting the general Bloemfontein communities to promote AFS. We foresee that quest to empower the community and allow inclusiveness, yield new opportunities for young people through new pathways and scholarships, more cultural enrichment through hosting and volunteering.
New paths.
The Chapter is manoeuvring ways to resuscitate the Welkom chapter and continue prospects of opening one in Kimberley. Once successful, we will create the ripple effects beyond our local boarder of Lesotho to establish a new chapter there.
From a chapter member to a chapter member.
In the pursuit of active involvement beyond the event, below is a picture of the oral hygiene supplies. It was during the awareness campaign that the plight of the learners in diverse levels of education was touched. A call for oral hygiene for some Xhariep learners by me KB was graciously responded to by me Kele. The chapter is blessed to have responsive hearts to build the future one step at a time.