23 WEEKLY 2025
JULY
VOL 3 • NO. 25
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B A L D W I N
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N E W S P A P E R
BALDWIN CITY WELCOMES VISITORS FROM SISTER CITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Participants from Baldwin City and Riviersonderend, South Africa, gathered at the Lumberyard Arts Center on July 16 to create prayer flags, share stories, and build cross-cultural friendships as part of an ongoing Sister City exchange.
On July 16, the Lumberyard Arts Center came alive with color, creativity, and cross-cultural connection as Baldwin City welcomed visitors from its sister city of Riviersonderend, South Africa. Organized by BCK United in partnership with The Light Center, the gathering served as a meaningful cultural exchange between youth and community members from both sides of the globe. The event was centered around a visit from Lucien Deelman, a 19-year-old from Riviersonderend, and his traveling companion, Theolene Baartman. The two were in Kansas to attend the International Youth of Unity conference and made time to visit Baldwin City through an invitation extended by Robin Goff, founder of The Light Center. Recognizing the opportunity
to deepen the existing sister city connection, Goff reached out to BCK United to coordinate a gathering during their stay. Hosted at BCK United’s home base, the Lumberyard Arts Center, the event brought together a small but lively group of about 15 participants. Teens and adults alike gathered to create colorful prayer flags—each decorated with uplifting messages or symbols of kindness, hope, and encouragement. Messages like “Love Yourself,” “Bee Happy,” “Spread Love,” and “Ubuntu”—a South African term meaning “I am because we are”— reflected the shared values of compassion and connection. These flags will be strung together and taken back to South Africa, where they will be displayed during upcoming youth camps.
Following the creative activity, the group shared snacks and spent time simply enjoying one another’s company. Conversations flowed easily, with teens bonding over music, movies, and mutual interests. The event provided a space for genuine connection, where participants could be themselves and experience the joy of discovering common ground with someone from another part of the world. This gathering was just one moment in a much longer relationship between Baldwin City and Riviersonderend. The sister city connection, now two decades strong, began as a response to the AIDS orphan crisis in South Africa. Over the years, the relationship has evolved through youth leadership camps, quilt exchanges, and school partnerships. Both towns share
striking similarities—rural communities of similar size, a focus on local heritage, and an appreciation for the arts, including a love of quilting that has become a symbolic link between the two. The July 16 event was more than just a craft activity—it was a demonstration of what international friendship can look like at the local level. It offered Baldwin City youth the chance to experience cultural exchange firsthand, to represent their community with openness and kindness, and to take part in something larger than themselves. Events like these not only strengthen bonds between cities but also foster empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging in a broader world community. As Lucien and Theolene return to South Africa with Baldwin-made prayer flags and heartfelt memories, the spirit of unity they helped cultivate continues to ripple through the local community— proof that friendship truly knows no borders.