Sol-Tech campus a ‘monument of hope’

Solidarity inaugurated its Sol-Tech Campus in Monument Park on Friday as a beacon of hope for the youth.

Chief executive of Solidarity Dr Dirk Hermann said the campus would focus on careers in the field of artisans.

Another campus catering for academic fields, Akademia campus, on a 200ha site in the east of Pretoria, was in the pipeline.

A hostel was also being planned to be built across the street from Sol-Tech.

Hermann said the campus was a remarkable achievement since it was built from funds raised by community members.

The R300-million project was started in September 2019, when the first sod was turned and completed in February 2021.

“Today, we celebrate this milestone with every member and donor who contributed to this milestone and we are proud of it.”

He said despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown, the building was completed “under budget and earlier than planned, ready to receive its first students in February this year”.

“Sol-Tech is a living monument. It was built from the community by the community and was mainly funded by the monthly R10 contributions of our members. Everyone has helped to put a little bit together to build a stronger future for our children,” Hermann said.

“It is a tangible result of what a community is capable of when it decides that they will do things themselves.”

“The future-oriented training looks ahead and prepares the youth to build a future for themselves and to build a future for our country.”

Hermann said the youths were resilient “and the only thing the community must do is be the air beneath their wings”.

“While others flee to greener pastures, we are building an institution to empower the youth so that they can create wealth for themselves and for their community within South Africa. This monument declares that we are here to stay and to build.”

Hermann said R1,5-million worth of stones were used to build the campus. “It is a monument with members’ names written on each stone.

“The institution was not built to exclude anyone, but to ensure that we are included.”

Executive director of Solidarity, Hannes Noeth observed scripture reading and prayer.

He read from Joshua 4:6 and referred to the campus as the community’s stones of remembrance. He said God had been faithful up until now, He will be faithful in future “as long as we bring everything before Him”.

In the spirit of the art of the artisan, Flip Buys, chairman of Solidarity, said the organisation did not only build buildings but cultural institutions.

He said the heart of the artisan was visible from the past, and referred to milestones such as the building of the railway lines in 1860, the Great Trek and the Anglo Boer War.

Buys said students were educated in Afrikaans, but they would be prepared for a multilingual world out there.

“Challenges concerning study funds are rife countrywide. Helping Hand has study funds and bursaries available for Sol-Tech students.”

Solidarity also celebrated the artisan by starting a tradition in the form of an award for the best artisan, male or female, to be awarded annually.

The first Iron Master Artisan was awarded to Leon van Wyk, one of Sol-Tech’s lecturers, who joined the institution in 2007.

Renowned as one of the conductors of Sol-Tech, was Paul van Deventer, managing director of Sol-Tech.

Van Deventer said the culture of a nation can be found in its writings and poetry. In this regard the campus’ retroism can be found in the poem Die Beiteltjie written by NP van Wyk Louw.

The campus’ theme is “Farm”. The cafeteria area is called “Die Kraal”, tests are written in “Die Skuur”, the administration is limited to “Die Opstal”, functions are held at “Die Werf”, somewhere a “Windpomp” features where “student-like beverages” can be enjoyed and the braai area is called “Die Spilpunt”.

The sculptor Jacques Muller is the creator of the sculpture inspired by the said poem Die Beiteltjie and depicts a pair of hands made of bronze on granite.

The rock onto which the sculpture was mounted, came from the site on which the campus was built.

The sculpture was inaugurated as a metaphor of where Sol-Tech starts off.

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