Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Nelson Mandela Foundation,
The year coming to an end will be long remembered in the annuals of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It was our first year without our beloved Madiba. The many events we have participated in during the last two weeks to mark the first anniversary of his passing have reminded us of how much we miss him. We have felt the loss all over again in many tangible ways, not least the outpouring of affection for him and his legacy from around the world.
It has been a busy year and a challenging one as we have worked determinedly to heed Madiba’s call to us to keep walking the long walk, hard as it might seem without him and tiring in ways it didn’t seem to be twenty years ago. We can all celebrate our demonstration of how his legacy lives on, that we can collaborate in a way that Madiba would want with all stakeholders in his legacy, and that the Foundation has a sustainability model that promises success. This legacy demands of us to be a custodian of his life and times; to collectively lift the burden of poverty and inequality by promoting a socially just society. Our three core areas of work have all undertaken important new initiatives and show evidence of significant impact. We are on track with the implementation of our five-year (2013-2018) strategic plan as outlined in some of our activities below.
These achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of the Foundation staff and the unstinting support of our friends. We thank each and every one of you for your incredible support and invaluable contributions during 2014 and we look forward to walking a new path together in 2015.
Wishing you a good rest over the coming holiday period and a very good new year.
Warm regards,
Sello Hatang
Click here to read our end of year newsletter that details some of the 2014 highlights.