Sizabadala elderly group celebrated during 67 Minutes of service
Tutela Organisation marked Mandela Month with a special 67 Minutes event at SASSA Thokoza, bringing together senior citizens to celebrate the wisdom, value and lasting contribution of the elderly
Tutela celebrated Mandela Month by hosting a special 67 minutes programme for the Sizabadala elderly group at the SASSA offices in Thokoza on July 14.
The event, which started at 10:00, formed part of a week-long outreach programme aimed at encouraging community members to give back while strengthening relationships between different generations.
Children from Rejoice Early Childhood Development Centre, who participated in a Mandela Day reading activity the previous day, entertained the elderly as part of the programme.
They also wrote letters of encouragement, which will be delivered to the Blue Wings Disability Centre in Alberton during the organisation’s next outreach event.
The organisation’s Mandela Month programme will continue with a visit to Blue Wings Disability Centre on July 15, to Stepping Stone Hospice on July 16, and to a feeding programme for homeless people on July 17.
The initiative is about more than observing Mandela Day. It is about putting the spirit of service into action by encouraging each group to pay kindness forward to the next.
McKayla Jansen from Tutela said the event was an opportunity to remind older people that they remain an important part of the community.
“The purpose of today is to celebrate Mandela Day, but also to remind our communities what it is really about. It is about coming together, especially our elderly in the community because they have paved the way for us. We want to remind them that we value their wisdom, their advice and everything they still have to offer,” she said.
Jansen said many older people sometimes feel they are no longer valuable, but Tutela wanted to show them that their knowledge and life experience continue to inspire younger generations.
“Today we are speaking to our elderly about their value in our community. They have wisdom and advice, and they have paved the way for us. By connecting our children, our elderly, people living with disabilities, hospice patients and the homeless, we are showing that kindness can be passed from one group to another. That is what Mandela Month is all about,” she said.
The gathering also gave senior citizens the opportunity to share their wisdom and life experiences.
