As schools prepared to return from winter holidays, teacher and philanthropist Hluphi Shili dedicated her 67 Minutes for Mandela Day on July 18 to supporting children in Ecaleni through a nutrition and empowerment programme.

Shili hosted a special day for children from the community, which included motivational talks, entertainment from bikers, music, food and activities aimed at creating a memorable experience for the learners.

The initiative formed part of a wider nutrition programme Shili ran throughout the winter school holidays to assist learners who rely on school feeding programmes during the academic term and may experience challenges accessing meals during school breaks.

ALSO READ: Mandela Day initiative brings meals and hope to homeless community

Together with a team of volunteers and donors, Shili prepared meals for children throughout the period.

Although the programme officially concluded on Mandela Day, she said the support will continue, with weekend meals planned during the school term while learners receive meals through school programmes during the week.

“Today we are celebrating Mandela Day with my children, who come from different families. The goal is to close the gap because they have access to food during school days but often face challenges during recess,” said Shili.

“Today we were also visited by doctors who motivated the children and donated food that will assist them during the upcoming term.”

ALSO READ: Mandela Day brings community together to support vulnerable residents

As the school’s support coordinator, Shili said she is familiar with the needs within the community and is able to identify learners who require additional assistance.

“I am a community builder, and many of these learners are from my school. I know the children and the challenges they face. The difficult part is seeing adults also joining the queues for food, which shows that there is still much work to be done as a community,” she said.

Shili said the programme is made possible through the support of volunteers, teachers, donors and community members who contribute towards preparing and serving meals.

“I do a lot of work during school days, but I always make time for these children. At the end of the day, I want to see them cared for so that they can focus in class without worrying about where their next meal will come from,” she said.

“To the parents who trust me with their children, I want to say thank you. I could not do this without your support.”

The Mandela Day celebration ended on a joyful note, with Shili’s nephew, musician Amos “Aymos” Shili, entertaining the children with performances.