Every year, on Madiba’s birthday South Africans come together to commemorate the heart of the Father of our democratic nation, Nelson Mandela. To pay homage to his true nature, and his giving heart, Mandela Day is all about coming together in the spirit of Ubuntu and giving back.
18 July is recognized worldwide as Mandela Day and in 2009, the United Nations dubbed the day as International Nelson Mandela Day. The call is to simply spend 67 minutes of your day dedicated to public service. Each minute of your 67 minutes commemorates Madiba’s year behind bars.
If you don’t have any plans for your 67 minutes as yet, here is a comprehensive list of causes and organizations you can donate your time or money to this Mandela Day.
1. Become an ally for justice against gender-based violence
Mobile safety app, Grit, introduces Zuzi – a supportive, knowledgeable, and trauma-informed chatbot designed to be a safe space for gender-based violence (GBV) survivors. Zuzi will serve as a first point of contact in case of emergencies.
Here’s how to get involved with GRIT this Mandela Day:
- Get involved in the testing session as a team: for a minimum donation of R167 per team member, your team will participate in a dedicated 67-minute workshop/testing session with Zuzi. This session will provide valuable insights into her user experience and content accuracy, ensuring survivors receive the most accurate and helpful information.
Beyond Mandela Day here’s how you can get involved:
- R67-R167: Contributes to Zuzi’s development and empowers survivors seeking legal guidance.
- R670: Sponsors a week’s worth of essential transportation to court for 5 survivors, removing a significant barrier to justice.
- R1670: Supports 20+ survivors with trauma support and grants access to legal support for survivors through the GRIT mobile App, making a tangible difference in their lives.
- R6700: Once-off company donation, creates a tangible difference in our technology development and survivors’ lives.
View this post on Instagram
2. Take part in a street clean-up in your neighbourhood.
Cleaning the environment benefits the entire community in different ways. It provides a sense of dignity and safety.
3. Spend time in a community kitchen
With the recent series of cold fronts and storms, many families have been affected by flooding and damaging winds. Community kitchens like Gogo’s Kitchen in Gugulethu feed households with little to nothing. At this current time, Gogo’s Kitchen is working to provide basic essentials, such as:
– Food and clean clothes;
– Blankets;
– Medical care and supplies;
– Support for children and families.
Every donation counts, helping to bring stability and hope to those who have lost so much in the storms.
Image credit: Pamela Silwana / (Facebook)
4. Collaborate with a school to paint the walls
Many schools in South Africa are in a poor state and students have to learn in uninspiring, undignifying environments. Painting the walls is a great way of contributing to a student’s success.
5. Donate clothes to unhoused individuals
The Street Store is the brainchild of ad agency M&C Saatchi Abel, part of M&C Saatchi Group South Africa. It is the world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up clothing store for the unhoused and those in need.
The global initiative helps those who are unhoused to choose their clothing, instead of simply receiving unwanted hand-me-downs. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between those who have to give but often don’t know where to go and those who are in need of clothing items. We all know the feeling of retail therapy and the Street Store allows the unhoused to enjoy a shopping experience.
This year, the Street Store celebrates its 10th Anniversary, an incredible milestone for an initiative that was founded on the streets of Cape Town. To date, more than 1000 Street Stores have taken place in more than 60 countries including Mexico, New Zealand, Ghana, Colombia, India, Brazil, Australia, and Nepal, and which have gone on to clothe and support more than 1 million people.
The Street Store is calling on donations of your functional and pre-loved clothing or for volunteers at their Street Stores in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
6. Give old bedding, clothes and toys to Hatch
Hatch is a non-profit that delivers newborn starter packs to new moms in Cape Town’s underprivileged communities. The organization believes that every child deserves an equal start in life, and so ensures that they are warmly dressed, have a clean nappy, a toy to hold, a book for their moms to read to them and more.
Newborn parents get a Hatch bag, which contains newborn essentials of about 15+ items, which include a selection of baby clothes, socks, beanies, baby books, soap, washcloth, bum cream, wipes, nappies, a blanket and a soft toy.
Now that winter is in full swing, Hatch is in need of baby blankets for the Hatch bags. There are drop-off points in Vredehoek or Durbanville, or you can DM Hatch on Facebook to make arrangements in other areas.
Image credit: Hatch / (Facebook)
7. Plant a community garden
This you can do with your neighbours, or you can donate trees to a needy area. Having access to good food and clean air significantly improves the lives of people living in your community.
8. Support animal shelters
Animal shelters such as TEARS Animal Rescue and Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha are both doing Mandela Day drives to help spruce up their kennels and catteries. Not only do they provide animals with safe shelters, they both provide community education drives, outreach programmes in underprivileged areas, and feed and rehome animals in need.
Please note: Mdzananda Animal Clinic’s Mandela Day Kennel building event has been cancelled due to the storm, but you can still donate R67 in honour of Mandela Day which would make just as much of an impact for the pets & rescues of Khayelitsha.
View this post on Instagram
9. Go to the Mandela Day Walk and Run
On the 20th of July at Wanderers Stadium your family can be a part of the Mandela Day Walk or Run. It is an excellent way of honouring the values that Tata Madiba stood for – ubuntu, community, and giving back.
10. Help fund social justice organisations
NGOs in South Africa are severely underfunded and the work they do for people in South Africa is life-changing. Consider donating some funds to your favourite NGO.
Whatever you do this Mandela Day, whether you contribute to your community with your friends, through an office campaign, or just on your own, remember that your 67 minutes are valuable and will make a difference for whichever cause you choose.
ALSO SEE:
Meet the minds behind GRIT – a tech platform supporting women in need
Feature image: Unsplash
