Bult - University of the Free State

Way to Botshabelo
takes Ryan to Italy
By Leatitia Pienaar
On my way to
Botshabelo – the title of
a young Bloemfontein
poet’s entry in an
international poetry
competition, can just as
well read On my way to
Italy… again. He is for a
second year on his way
to Europe to receive his
prize. More about him…
Ryan (20) is a
second-year student
in BSc Physics and
Management. And if you are wondering about the
poetry: “I don’t believe you need to study poetry to
appreciate it, and the scientific part of my studies
stimulates my mind from a completely different angle.
He is born and bred in Bloemfontein, son of Douglas
and Mary-Anne, a teacher for hearing-impaired
children. His grandfather was the well-known Eric
Lamb of Eric Lamb Nurseries, a household name in
Bloemfontein and the region. Ryan says his grandfather
also wrote poetry “and although I never met him (he
passed away before I was born) I have read his poetry
anthologies. So I guess it runs in my blood!
“I generally don’t write about specific themes or topics,
most of the time there is just a good sentence or idea
that I elaborate on.”
Ryan was 16 years old when his Remnants of Dust was
placed first in South Africa as judged by the Poetry
Institute of Africa.
The theme for the Italian competition was Voices /
Silence and he also entered a poem in a competition
held by the University of Zagreb in Croatia. The topic for
this one is Activism poetry.
The international poetry competition Poesia e
Solidarieta (Castello Di Duino) is organised by The
Association for Poetry and Solidarity, based in Trieste,
Italy. In 2008 about 1 210 entries were received from all
over the world, including Bosnia, China, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, the USA and Italy itself. Only eight
people received individual awards, and Ryan was
specially recommended. He was also invited to attend
and take part in the Association’s International Youth
Forum in Trieste during September last year.
“Winning a prize in the competition and attending
the Forum were amazing experiences. A year ago, I
wouldn’t have imagined that one of my poems would
get me to Italy! The forum itself was an eye-opening
experience – everyone was ‘poetically inclined’ and
thus had similar creative open-minds. Something that
really impressed me was how much the people there
appreciate culture.”
This year Three Step Down takes him to Trieste.
Min kan trotser wees as ‘juffrou’ Emma
Deur Leatitia Pienaar
Die berig kon gelui het: Nils Kotzé (21) is hierdie
jaar met die herfsgradeplegtigheid in Bloemfontein
aangewys as die beste student in B.Rek. Hy het
sy graad met lof geslaag en sit vanjaar sy B.Com
Honneurs-studies aan ons Universiteit voort.
Maar dan sal niemand weet van “juffrou” Emma wat
daar in 2004, toe hy nog in Gr 11 was, die talentvolle
jong man raakgesien het nie. As hoofseun van die
skool het hy ‘n groot indruk op haar gemaak, sê Emma
Verschoor. “Juffrou” het intussen “tannie” geword, want
hulle het van daardie tyd af ‘n lang pad saamgestap.
In Gr 12 was hy dux-leerling van die skool in
Bloemfontein vir kinders uit moeilike ekonomiese
en maatskaplike omstandighede. Geld was skaars
en geleenthede nog minder, maar op ‘n dag het sy
Afrikaans-onderwyser by haar klas opgedaag, met Nils
so skaam, skaam om die draai, en gevra of sy kan
help. “Mevrou, is daar nie ‘n manier hoe ons hierdie
perd kan laat studeer nie, want anders gaan hy ‘n
werktuigkundige word.”
Emma het geweet van die paadjie vir
universiteitstoelating via haar man, prof. Teuns
Verschoor, maar sy wou vir Nils by sy studies uitkry
sonder haar man se hulp. Op haar eie. Die volgende
dag het sy by die NSFAS-afdeling aangeklop, maar
daar moes nog uitgevind word watter rigting hy
sou gaan swot. Die besluit val toe op B.Rek. Emma
het ook ‘n afspraak by prof. Dave Lubbe van die
Sentrum vir Rekeningkunde gemaak. Prof. Dave
het self ‘n beurs gehad en gereël ook vir ‘n toets by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, en so het Nils vakansiewerk
by PwC gekry en sommer toe al geweet waar hy
eendag gaan werk as die graad agter sy naam staan.
Met ‘n koshuisbeurs val hy in by Huis Verwoerd,
nou Armentum in, maar in sy tweede jaar word hy ‘n
stadstudent. Dit het meegebring dat sy NSFAS-beurs
gekanselleer is. Emma sê hulle kry in Maart 2007 by
die see is ‘n boodskap van ‘n hoogs ontstelde Nils oor
die kansellasie van dié beurs, maar dat hy die H.B.
Thom Trust-beurs ontvang het. Nils pas honde-kinders
vakansies by die Verschoor-huis op.
En watter sameloop van
omstandighede was dit nie:
Dit is ‘n beurs wat Emma
se oom, prof. H.B. Thom,
voormalige rektor van die
Universiteit van Stellenbosch
en met ‘n noue verbintenis
met die UV, ingestel het vir
behoeftige studente. Die
beurs-toekenning was ‘n
groot verrassing vir Emma.
Op ‘n ongelooflike wyse is ‘n
kringloop voltooi.
Nils het elke jaar uitstekende
resultate gelewer. “Dit was
net cum, cum, cum.” In sy
swakste vak het hy 72%
gekry, sê sy. Emma is baie
trots op Nils. Sy het van die
begin af gedink daar lê ‘n
blink toekoms vir hom voor.
Nils het ‘n manier om in
mense se harte in te kruip.
Daarvan getuig nie net die
Verschoors nie, maar ook
die tannies by die UV se
Admin. Nils kry deur al die
jare gereeld sy “besending”
beskuit en ander ware wat
hulle vir hom bymekaar maak, anoniem.
Nils sê hy is verskriklik dankbaar vir die geleenthede
wat op sy pad gekom het. “Ek wil nie die rykste mens
op aarde wees nie. Ek wil net ander help.”
Sy suster Emmylou het ook haar paadjie UV toe gevind.
En die Admin-tannies maak ‘n tweede “besending”
bymekaar.
En tannie Emma. Sy glimlag breed as sy na die jong
man kyk wat diep in haar hart gekruip het.
Dalk is daar ook ‘n student vir wie jy die pad kan help
oopkap…
Students
56 Bult 57