Mandela Day may place service in the national spotlight for one day each year, but its value rests in what follows.

For Empact Group and its catering division, Feedem, working with Litterboom Project, this year’s answer lay in practical projects with a longer lifespan: vegetable gardens at care facilities and children’s homes, food parcels for families in need, and waste removal in Durban.

“Mandela Day allows businesses to examine the value their contribution creates,” said Group Human Resources Executive, Salwa Albertyn.

“We wanted our employees’ time and effort to result in something practical, whether that was food reaching a child, vegetables growing in a garden or waste being removed from a sensitive natural environment.”

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The mangroves form part of a sensitive coastal habitat where waste carried by rivers and stormwater systems can accumulate, threatening plant life, wildlife and surrounding waterways.

“Removing more than half a tonne of debris gave the team’s contribution a clear and measurable result. Corporate volunteering carries greater weight when it responds to an identified need,” said Albertyn.

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