Tutela Family Care Alberton celebrated Mandela Day on July 17 by standing alongside members of the local homeless community in a day dedicated to compassion, dignity and service.

The event formed part of the National Mandela Initiative, which focused on honouring Nelson Mandela’s legacy through acts of kindness and community support.

The event was attended by Tutela Family Care staff, members of the homeless community and Laetitia de Kock from Life on the Streets (LOTS) organisation and Warrant Officer Phumza Petse from Alberton SAPS.

According to Veronica Adams from Tutela, the organisation believes that even the smallest act of kindness can make a meaningful difference.

“We are so proud to stand alongside members of our homeless community, celebrating the spirit of compassion, dignity and service. We believe that every act of kindness, no matter how small, has the power to create meaningful change. Together today, we honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy by sharing hope, building connections and reminding one another that everyone deserves respect, care and the opportunity to thrive,” said Adams.

The Mandela Day celebration was the final part of a week-long Giving Forward initiative. During the week, Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres passed acts of kindness to people living with disabilities, who then shared kindness with oncology patients.

The initiative ended with oncology patients paying kindness forward to the homeless community.

As part of the day’s activities, homeless participants created a handprint canvas by placing their painted hands on a large artwork.

The completed canvas will be given to the participating ECD centres, symbolising the cycle of kindness coming full circle.