#67MinutesforMandelaDay: Lynne one of many hands keeping Benoni beautiful
Neglected public spaces and overgrown areas left her heartbroken, but instead of accepting the decline, she found hope in a simple act.
When, in 2009, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the 46664 campaign challenged South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes to helping others, it sparked a movement that continues to inspire acts of kindness every year.
But for some residents, making a difference isn’t something reserved for Mandela Day (July 18); it’s simply part of who they are.
Across Benoni, community organisations are preparing to roll up their sleeves once again this Mandela Month.
From serving meals with dignity to cleaning neighbourhood streets and bringing smiles to hospice patients, this year’s Mandela Day promises plenty of opportunities for residents to lend a helping hand.
For 66-year-old Lynne Hugo, volunteering began with something many locals can relate to: watching the town she loves slowly lose its sparkle.
Neglected public spaces and overgrown areas left her heartbroken, but instead of accepting the decline, she found hope in a simple act.
Watching community champion Jonathan Etherington plant a garden on the corner of Snake Road and Morris Avenue made her realise that meaningful change often starts with one person willing to take the first step.
Not long afterwards, Lynne joined her first Clean Projects Benoni clean-up and hasn’t looked back since.
“I wanted to be part of the solution instead of another person complaining,” she said.
Since then, Saturday mornings have become something she looks forward to.
Wearing her green volunteer T-shirt, painting kerbs, clearing litter and watching neglected spaces transform has become a source of pride, not only because the work beautifies Benoni, but because it reminds her that ordinary people have the power to create extraordinary change.
The work is not always easy, she admits. Long hours in the sun or cold can be physically exhausting, but volunteering has given her a newfound appreciation for everyone who shows up week after week.
“You only realise how hard the work is once you’ve done it yourself,” she said. “Every volunteer inspires me because they come back whether it’s raining, freezing cold or scorching hot.”
Beyond creating cleaner streets, Lynne believes the work also creates safer communities. Overgrown grass and neglected public spaces, she says, can leave residents feeling vulnerable, particularly women and children.
More importantly, volunteering has restored something she thought Benoni was losing: hope.
She dreams of her grandchildren growing up in a town they can be proud of, surrounded by clean parks, colourful gardens and neighbours who care enough to make a difference.
For Lynne, however, volunteering is about much more than one day on the calendar.
She is already thinking about the next challenge: helping tackle Benoni’s water hyacinth problem and laughs that she’ll be there “boots and all.”
While Lynne is one of many residents dedicating their time throughout the year, Mandela Day offers everyone the chance to get involved.
* Clean Projects Benoni spent Mandela Day day picking up litter and clearing grass at Country Lane, off Bunyan Street.
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