Bedfordview advocate marks Kilimanjaro milestone with library mural

Ten years ago on July 18, 2016, Ward 20 Committee member Advocate Mona Naidoo summited Mount Kilimanjaro.

This was part of the Trek4Mandela Caring for Girls initiative in which the participants aimed to raise funds to buy sanitary pads for girls.

Naidoo reflected on how this Nelson Mandela Day took a tragic turn when South African rally driver Gugu Zulu died while attempting to summit the mountain.

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However, 10 years later, the advocate had to tackle another mountain. This mountain came in the form of a 3.23 m high canvas.

Naidoo was tasked with painting the canvas as part of phase one of the Bedfordview Library Refurbishment Project.

The project began with the transformation of the children’s fun corner space, with one of the transformations being colourful murals celebrating reading, community and imagination.

Naidoo, collaborating with five schools in the precinct and a non-profit organisation called Safer City, contributed to the artwork.

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With no background or experience in art, painting such a huge canvas felt like climbing a mountain all over again for the advocate.

“I must say, the physical mountain actually felt much easier than doing the artwork. I also give my son credit because of his support and also helping me with carrying the massive canvas.”

With a due date of June 30, Naidoo began the actual sketching on June 12. Her son sketched a few items on the canvas, then left the rest to her.

Naidoo said they decided to tackle the canvas sideways because it felt imposing doing it up straight.

“When you turn it on its side, it looks smaller. So you see how we can make a mountain out of a molehill?

Like when something happens, we gasp at how big it is, but when we turn the perspective, it becomes smaller and whatever you are doing becomes easier because you can reach it,” noted Naidoo.

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Each day she did a little. “Each day the pains in my body were like how we were climbing and training for Kilimanjaro. Each day brought a new set of challenges. Some days my hands were shaky, especially when doing the finer details.

“But on some days they just flowed. I realised when I took a breath, walked in the garden, it felt like dancing with a paintbrush on the canvas,” Naidoo reflected.

On June 28, she had completed the sketch, which was ready for collection on July 1.

The advocate recalled her summit on Mount Kilimanjaro and how she took off her shoes, put on high-heeled gold sandals and refreshed her red lipstick, in a magical climax. She also extended gratitude to her husband Vis, for carrying her through the climb.

What resonates more with the advocate about the children’s corner is its inclusivity, not just of children from the suburbs of Bedfordview but of those who come from neighbouring places who don’t have the local luxuries.

This tied in with the advocate’s reflection of the Safe Study NPO, which aims to develop skills that will help them be aware, productive and skilful in the fields needed to develop for a sustainable future.

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The NPO is a creative arts enrichment initiative that was founded in 2020, working with marginalised and underprivileged children in the east of Johannesburg, which the advocate has been supporting for three years.

Meanwhile, Naidoo noted, “Youth month culminates into Mandela month in that if we give our youth in whichever communities they come from the opportunity to grow, show us their gifts and talents, this is what they can produce.

“And that is what Madiba spoke about: building the country of our dreams. I said we will build the world of our dreams through inclusivity, and the space is not just for children, but their parents as well.”