WATCH: #MandelaDay2023: locals do their part on Mandela Day
The theme for the 2023 Mandela Day was 'It is in Your Hands'.
To commemorate Mandela Day 2023 on July 18, individuals and organisations rolled up their sleeves and descended on disadvantaged communities across Boksburg to contribute to positive change.
Mandela Day is a time for celebrating the birthday and life of the late former president Nelson Mandela, who would have turned 105 this year.
It is also a call to action for South Africans to emulate the global icon by spending at least 67 minutes of their time to make a positive impact in their communities or reaching out to those who are less fortunate, such as helping to uplift communities, alleviate poverty, suffering, hunger and homelessness.
The theme for the 2023 Mandela Day was ‘It is in Your Hands’.
Beanies
As part of their FirstRand Volunteers Programme, FNB volunteers made their contributions for Mandela Day by donating over 100 beanies to the children of Geppetto-Kids and God’s Love in Delmore Park and Delmore Gardens to help them stay warm in winter.
The children’s beaming smiles and the spark in their eyes were enough to show their excitement and appreciation. On behalf of the school and parents, the school principal Veronica Nunn tanked FNB and the team knitting the beanies.
The children sang and danced for the visitors. They also had a Mandela photo colouring task and learned about the life of Madiba.
Soup
For their 67 minutes of Mandela Day, members of the Boksburg SAPS made it their mission to ensure hungry tummies are fed in Angelo informal settlement, which has massive poverty.
It was almost midday when the police handed out slices of bread with a cup of soup.
“This is my first meal for the day, and at least now I will have enough energy to get around collecting recyclable waste material to sell,” said waste picker Prince Isaac Ngobeni.
Most people in the area, including children, are living below the poverty line.
GALLERY: Boksburg SAPS
GALLERY: FirstRand Volunteers
