Unexpected Mandela Day surprise leaves Rosebank Union Church passers-by smiling
Pedestrians and commuters travelling along Winnie Mandela Drive and Sandton Drive paused in amazement as the Rosebank Union Church fence, covered in colourful scarves and beanies, invited anyone in need to take one.
The fence surrounding Rosebank Union Church became a colourful symbol of kindness on July 18 as more than 100 handmade scarves and beanies were hung for anyone in need to take as part of the annual 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day Secret Scarf Mission.
The initiative, supported by the KnitWits 4 the Needy Hurlingham group, saw volunteers spend their Mandela Day sharing warmth and compassion with members of the community.
Each handcrafted scarf and beanie carried a special tag reading: ‘I am not lost. If you are cold, please take me.’
Read more: Sandton CPF Mandela Day clean-up initiative leaves Sandton Police Station spotless
Along with the knitted items, volunteers handed out loaves of bread and biscuits to recyclers, security guards, homeless people and anyone passing by who could benefit from a simple act of kindness.
67 Blankets ambassador Jo Corlett said the annual initiative embodies the spirit of Mandela Day by encouraging people to give back to those around them.
“We do this every year on Mandela Day. We give back to the community, to the needy, and this year we’ve been fortunate to have an abundance of scarves and beanies made by our knitwits, who are all members of 67 Blankets and it’s been absolutely amazing,” Corlett said.
“There are recyclers, people walking
past, security people, everybody has been afforded a scarf, a beanie, a loaf of bread and a biscuit, just to get them through lunchtime and also enjoy part of what Madiba was all about and that was giving back to the people.”
Volunteer Gabriella McKinnon said Mandela Day creates an accessible opportunity for everyone to make a meaningful difference.
“People like me don’t have a lot of ways to accessibly help others in this way. So it’s a good initiative to get people thinking about how they can help, and there are obviously thousand different ways to help, like making scarves, making bread rolls, which everyone can do,” McKinnon said.
Also read: Mandela Day makeover transforms classrooms at Montrose Primary School
She added that such initiatives are important because there are people who rely on this kind of outreach, and there are many people who have no other access to food and other basic needs.
Another volunteer, Emma Jane, who recently relocated to South Africa and celebrated Mandela Day for the first time in her life, said she was happy to be part of those making a difference in the lives of others.
“This is my first time celebrating Nelson Mandela Day, and it’s important to me because I’ve found a way to give back to society, and a day reserved for doing that is what everyone should do.
“It should be done every day, but having a separate day is a really nice thing, and my being able to contribute to it, even though I’m fairly new in the country, is something I’m really grateful for.”
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