The countdown to Mandela Day begins

A member of the media documents the day’s events at the Tshepong Stimulation Centre

May 12, 2010 – With 67 days to go to Mandela Day 2010, the Nelson Mandela Foundation started the countdown to July 18 with a press launch that demonstrated the spirit of Mandela Day.

Mandela Day, an international day officially recognised by the United Nations, is an opportunity for people around the world to spend at least 67 minutes doing something good for others in honour of Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of service to humanity. 

Today, 67 days before Mr Mandela’s 92nd birthday, Foundation staff members travelled to Cape Town, Durban and Katlehong (just outside Johannesburg) to launch the event, where journalists and media representatives were asked to roll up their sleeves, help out local charities and convey the idea behind Mandela Day.

In Gauteng the launch was held at the Tshepong Stimulation Centre in Katlehong. The centre provides day-care facilities for children with mental and physical disabilities and provides support to their families. Members of the media were invited to the centre and pitched in to improve the facilities by repainting one of the classrooms, sorting through donated clothes, cleaning the garden and hall and entertaining the children. The response from journalists was overwhelming. 

Speaking at the Johannesburg event, Foundation CEO Achmat Dangor said: “We chose today, 67 days before Madiba’s birthday, to announce the start of the campaign and to reinforce the underpinning principle behind Mandela Day – working with and within communities to do good.”

Last year’s inaugural Mandela Day was a resounding success with hundreds of community service events taking place around the world.

Dangor said: “The response around the world has been phenomenal. Last year in New York we had the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, packing food parcels ... [this year] we expect that all around the world people will develop community-oriented initiatives. For example, Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai has announced that she intends campaigning for millions of people to plant 67 trees each.”

Karuna Singh, director of Central Gauteng Mental Health Society, of which Tshepong Stimulation Centre is a project, said: “This is our only project that works with children. We are extremely glad to see you [the journalists] here. We didn’t have to beg for you to come and tell our story. We want to thank the Nelson Mandela Foundation for choosing us. There is a need for a resource like this in the community and we are just one organisation that needs your assistance.”

The Foundation’s Information Communications Manager Sello Hatang said: “Today is a very exciting day. The Nelson Mandela Foundation has called you here to do something good in your capacity as journalists.

“Even journalists can do something good,” he joked.

Talk Radio 702’s morning show host, John Robbie, said: “It [Mandela Day] is fantastic. The legacy of this great man is something that is positive and constructive. It’s an old cliché, but if everybody did something, what a difference it would make.”

Josh Berger, a journalist with Agence France Presse (AFP) said: “I think it’s really cool. Volunteerism in all of its forms is great. Having an opportunity to come out here and get our hands dirty is a wonderful thing.”

In Durban, members of the media visited the Street-Wise project outside Pinetown. Street-Wise is a children’s home that cares for abandoned and neglected boys between the ages of seven and 14.

Here, the journalists and other invited members of the media learnt about Mandela Day and how the Foundation is calling on all South Africans to make every day a Mandela Day. They helped out at the home, playing soccer with the boys and reading to them.

Ntokozo Mfusi, a journalist at The Mercury, said: “This is such a beautiful initiative and everyone should get involved. The kids here get time and learning and it’s really special for me to be part of the build-up to Mandela Day.”

Marilyn Bernard, a journalist for the Independent Newspaper Group, said: “I think it’s important to foster an attitude of sharing and caring. Street-Wise urgently needs refurbishment and they need to tell us what their specific needs are so that we can make an appeal to the public to join hands and help them on Mandela Day.”

Stu Ndlovu, SABC radio journalist, said: “It was quite interesting today. These kids are still young and growing. I asked them, ‘Do you know who Nelson Mandela is?’ and they said ‘Yes we do, we see him on TV.’ Now we are going to be celebrating Mandela Day worldwide. Parents should relay the history of the country to their children, including the important role played by Nelson Mandela.”

Mothomang Diaho, Head of the Foundation’s Dialogue Programme, said: “Mandela Day is a time for us to join hands and give back to our own community.”

Verne Harris, Head of the Foundation’s Memory Programme, said: “The Foundation, as a goodwill gesture, is leaving 50 assorted Nelson Mandela books as a permanent resource for Street-Wise to encourage reading, a fundamental skill. We want to ensure that the rich complexity of Nelson Mandela’s life and his work is not forgotten.”

In Cape Town, members of the media visited the Aids Response project in Khayelitsha. Aids Response provides support and assistance to health workers and caregivers in the HIV/AIDS sector.

The 24 media representatives at the project provided support to these caregivers by listening to their stories and experiences of working with HIV-positive people and those living with HIV/AIDS.

Bernice Roeland, Director of Aids Response, said: “We provide care for the care-giver, helping those that help people with HIV. There are about 65 000 care-givers in South Africa doing voluntary work every day and today is about raising the need for appropriate care for these care-givers.” 

Each care-giver received a R500 Shoprite voucher and a goodie hamper sponsored by Engen. The care-givers were delighted with the hampers and the morning was a great example of the value of support to people in this sector. 

Ruth Rensburg, the Foundation’s Resource Development Manager, said: “It [Mandela Day] is not a holiday; it’s not a day to sit back. It’s a day to make a difference. It can be a conversation, it can be an action, it can even be something that you do on your way home from work.” 

Ryan O’Connor, Cape Town radio station Kfm talk show host, said: “It was very interesting to learn about what these care-givers go through on a daily basis. A lot of us are so used to complaining about sitting in traffic that we forget that we at least have a roof over our heads and air conditioning. These people are going out in the rain walking from door-to-door to see people they are looking after. I have been very inspired today.”

All the journalists who attended the events around the country participated fully in the day. They put down their cameras, notepads and recorders and chipped in for 67 minutes to make a difference, truly showing that every one of us can make a difference every day.

Dangor pointed out that while Madiba’s birthday on July 18 is the high point of Mandela Day the aim was to ensure that people see every day as a Mandela Day, saying: “Everybody can utilise Madiba’s legacy to start a movement for good, by giving 67 minutes to help a community.”