WATCH: Thousands unite to become Hands-On Heroes for Mandela Day
Ladles of Love transformed 67 minutes of service into a hands-on experience, bringing businesses and communities together to help nourish and educate 20 000 preschool children.
The Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec buzzed with energy on July 22 as hundreds of volunteers from companies across Gauteng rolled up their sleeves for Ladles of Love’s Hands-On Heroes Mandela Day event.
The large-scale volunteer initiative was designed to support the nutrition and education of 20 000 preschool children living in under-resourced communities, giving South Africans a practical and organised way to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy through service.
Volunteers gathered around activity stations, each dedicating 67 minutes to creating resources that will directly benefit children.
@southern.courier Ntswaki Kholoza of Standard Bank Insurance and Asset Management and Ladles of Love founder Danny Diliberto at the Johannesburg Expo Centre Full story on southerncourier.co.za
Participants prepared sandwiches, packed nutrition boxes, assembled educational materials, crafted teaching aids and built grow boxes to help urban farmers produce fresh vegetables for preschools.
Unlike many community projects that require participants to organise their own donations or identify beneficiaries, Hands-On Heroes provided a ready-made volunteer experience.
@southern.courier Ladles of Love transformed 67 minutes of service into a hands-on experience, bringing businesses and communities together to help nourish and educate 20 000 preschool children. Full story on southerncourier.co.za
Ladles of Love supplied the materials, coordinated the logistics and ensured every item produced would reach the communities that need them most.
The venue was divided into four activation zones, namely: Make, Create, Craft and Grow, each focusing on a different aspect of early childhood development and nutrition.
In the Make Zone, volunteers raced against the clock to prepare as many sandwiches as possible while packing nutrition boxes filled with carefully selected pantry staples tailored to the dietary needs of preschool children.
The Create Zone saw participants designing colourful posters, flashcards and activity workbooks to encourage learning in early childhood classrooms.
@southern.courier The large-scale volunteer initiative was designed to support the nutrition and education of 20 000 preschool children living in under-resourced communities, giving South Africans a practical and organised way to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy through service. Full story on southerncourier.co.za
In the Craft Zone, volunteers produced interactive teaching aids, including bean bags, puppets and vegetable-themed learning tools to make lessons on language, colours, movement and healthy eating more engaging.
Meanwhile, the Grow Zone focused on sustainability, with participants assembling grow boxes containing vegetable and herb seeds to support urban farmers who supply fresh produce to preschools.
Ntswaki Kholoza of Standard Bank Insurance and Asset Management said the atmosphere throughout the event reflected the enthusiasm of everyone involved.
“We are excited. The event is booming in all four zones and all the employees are excited,” she said.
Ladles of Love founder Danny Diliberto praised the spirit of collaboration that filled the exhibition hall.
He said the event captured the true essence of Mandela Day by bringing people together to show kindness through meaningful action.
The completed items will be distributed through Ladles of Love’s Nourish Our Children Programme, which provides nutritional support and educational resources to thousands of preschool children and teachers across South Africa.
Since its founding in 2014, Ladles of Love has grown from a small Cape Town soup kitchen into a national non-profit organisation tackling hunger and supporting vulnerable communities.
Through initiatives such as Hands-On Heroes, the organisation continues to make volunteering accessible by giving individuals and businesses an organised, impactful way to contribute to building healthier, better-supported futures for South Africa’s youngest citizens.
