A local ward councillor who is always doing something for the community has recently accomplished something for himself.
Councillor Peter Helfrich recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the Regent Business School in Cape Town.
Since his election to Ward 109 last November, he has striven to make it a better place by bringing in more services than ever before.
Community leader Felicity Solomons said Helfrich has had a huge impact on the ward.
“Councillor Helfrich literally turned our ward around within months of his election,” she related. “We adore him and could not have wished for anyone better.”
Helfrich said while a bachelor’s degree may seem like a small achievement to some it is something he never thought he would achieve.
He initially started working as a storeroom manager and worked his way up to the Executive Support Office of the City of Cape Town as well as chief of staff at the Western Cape Provincial Legislature. He also held senior managerial positions in various organisations.
Helfrich met his proud partner Nathalie Phillips in 1999. “He grew up in very dire and poor circumstances, and did not always have a place to stay,” she said. “He moved from place to place, and there were even times when he had to sleep on the streets. For someone like this to make it is just unheard of. He literally started from the bottom.”
Helfrich entered the political sphere to help others, especially the most vulnerable in society. He especially wanted to help young people facing similar issues and challenges to the ones he faced when growing up.
The determined councillor is, however, not stopping at a bachelor’s degree, and has already enrolled for his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at Stadio School of Law. He is also in the process of completing his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Suffolk in England.
“There were so many people who assisted me along the way, and I personally would like to thank each of them,” Helfrich said. “But mostly I would like to thank God.”
He truly believes anyone can be successful in life, and hopes to inspire others to believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their dreams.
