A helpful hand for Mozambique
CHARTWELL – Thousands of donations including food, clothes and blankets are on their way to Mozambique thanks to the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day organisation.
Hundreds of people have been harshly affected by severe weather in Mozambique this year, first when Cyclone Idai tore through the area in mid-March and then again when Cyclone Kenneth followed in late April. They, however, are not facing hardship alone.
The 67 Blankets for Mandela Day, started by Riverglen resident Carolyn Steyn, stepped in to collect thousands of donated items including food, clothes, blankets and toys for those struggling in Mozambique. On 30 April, and after months of hard work by numerous volunteers, the donations were finally packed up and transported to South Africa’s neighbours where they will be distributed to those in need.
“On 19 April [former first lady] Graça Machel, who is a close friend of Carolyn Steyn, made a plea to 67 Blankets for Mandela Day for us to help the people affected by the storm in Mozambique,” explained Lynton Lefevre, a brand ambassador for 67 Blankets to the Fourways Review.
“We put out a plea to our 15 500 plus social media followers to ask if they could help.”
The response was enormous. Before long, Steyn’s garage was filling up with thousands of donations – blankets from Rotary and the KnitWits for Madiba organisation, boxes of men’s trousers, non-perishable foodstuffs hundreds of nappies came in from donors.
The work then began on sorting and packing them for transport to Maputo and was done by numerous volunteers, including a group of schoolchildren who lent a hand during April.
“This is probably one of the biggest collective efforts for Mozambique,” said Steyn as the last items were being packed.
“We’re also donating lots of toys, as Mrs Machel’s office reminded us that we shouldn’t forget that the children of Mozambique are still children and need an escape from everything they’ve been through recently.”
Donations were placed into clearly marked boxes for delivery, and some of the items carry a tag featuring the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day logo.
“That’s so the recipients know where the donation came from, and that we are keeping Madiba’s legacy alive,” Steyn added.
Stuttaford Van Lines also came on board for the relief efforts, and it is in one of their vans that the donations are making the long trek to Maputo where they will be distributed.
“Stuttafords have been around for about 150 years and we have similar synergies with 67 Blankets,” said Margarida Fernandes, a fine arts executive with Stuttaford Van Lines who was in charge of loading up the vans on 30 April. “We’re honoured to be part of such an amazing initiative.”
Details: www.67blankets.co.za
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