Vodacom helps provide food security across SA for Mandela Day

Director of Communications and Outreach at the Nelson Mandela Foundation Danielle Melville, Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub and the Vodacom Blue Bulls mascot take time to pose for a photo

Scores of volunteers joined Vodacom staff at Vodaworld in Midrand on Mandela Day, assisting with the mammoth task of providing 17 000 food parcels for distribution to families in need.

This forms part of a much larger initiative Vodacom is rolling out across the nation – building on its inaugural food security drive launched in honour of Mandela Day last year – that will see a total of 51 000 food parcels handed out over the next week.

Different Vodacom branches around South Africa will contribute to this total.

Learners and their families will receive parcels with the following items: 1kg oats; one large jar of peanut butter; two cans of pilchards; two cans of baked beans; two packets of samp; two packets of sugar beans; a peanut and raisin snack; and a R2 Vodacom power bundle.

Danielle Moolman: packing each parcel with love

Thousands of volunteers, including members of the Blue Bulls, Orlando Pirates, the Gauteng Department of Education, Vodacom and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, raced the clock to pack as many food parcels as possible within 67 minutes. Once their time was up, a new team took over.

With music playing and motivational messages of support from Vodacom MC Gerald Hadebe, morale remained sky-high throughout the day.

CE of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, said: “Vodacom continues to be a valued partner in driving the Mandela Day ethos and Tata’s legacy forward.

"Food security is a vital part of the development journey for leaders and we would like to challenge others to take a leaf out of Vodacom's book to ensure the future of our youth."