Avon Justine eases the pain of sick children at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital
JOBURG -– Most of the children come from far and wide in South Africa and others from remote places on the African continent who will not be with family this festive season.
Christmas may be a time of joyfulness spent with family and loved ones but that may not be the case for children at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in Parktown, Johannesburg.
The children come from far and wide in South Africa and others from remote places on the African continent and will not have the opportunity to be with family this festive season.
Be that as it may be, beauty and cosmetic company Avon Justine has stepped in to make sure that it would be no different for the little patients of the hospital that the late founding father of South Africa’s democracy bequeathed to the children of the world.
In partnership with Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF), the company has eased the pain of the sick children who will spend the festive season lying in a hospital bed. The company brought some festive cheer to the children when they presented them with a Christmas hamper comprising of toys and goodies to the value of R50 000 and a donation of R150 000 handed over at the hospital on 4 December.
The donation will enable the facility to buy much-needed provisions such as consumables for surgeries including personal protective equipment, medicines and disposable pharmaceutical items. The donation is part of the company’s Thuthukisa Together programme which seeks to support impoverished communities in South Africa.
“A donation of this nature allows non-profit organisations like the NMCF to continue with the work of promoting children’s rights particularly their safety, livelihoods and access to healthcare.
“This is more important in an environment that is uncertain as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and that has rendered civil society vulnerable in implementing sustainable interventions,” said Konehali Gugushe, CEO of NMCF, speaking at the handover.
Mafahle Mareletse, managing director of Avon Justine Turkey, Middle East and Africa, said his company was humbled by the opportunity to work with an institution that was the brainchild of a humanitarian statesman, ‘our own Tata Madiba’.
Following the donation, Avon Justine will be designated the status of Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Globetrotter, a prestigious category of the donor which contributes substantially to the work of the fund.
The hospital was Mandela’s lasting wish for children in Africa and the first dedicated specialist paediatric facility in Gauteng providing a range of medical and surgical services including neurosurgery, cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, renal services including dialysis, general surgery and critical care (paediatric and neonatal intensive care) to name a few.
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