SUZANNE BELLING
Outreach organization Afrika Tikkun is holding an entire Mandela Month, as opposed to one day.
Its programmes are many and included Monday’s activities at the Afrika Tikkun Uthando Centre in Braamfontein where CEO Marc Lubner and other senior members of the organisation were joined by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and celebrity fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee in insulating one side of the dining room of the centre with paper cups, to be covered in Africa Kanga material.
This installation demonstrates an innovative low to zero cost solution to heat and cold insulation in shacks and low-income housing.
The idea came about when the public protector visited Namibia in May this year. A community radio station there had created a way to soundproof its studio using coffee cups and material which demonstrated that an insulation structure can be made which can change the environment for shack dwellers that are fighting a very cold winter.
Part of the morning was spent planting spinach in the vegetable garden and serving the children lunch. Other activities undertaken by Afrika Tikkun on the former president’s actual birthday were food parcel collections, a sanitary pad drive, the repainting of a principal’s office in Phutaditjaba, Alexandra, as well as the painting of outdoor play equipment.
In Diepsloot, cleaning, clearing, gardening and grass planting took place, while reading and comprehension classes were given at Orange Farm, as well a mural and other painting and creative endeavours. At Mfuleni in Cape Town, there was the distribution of friendship cards and a food drive and media coverage of the Early Childhood Development Centre.
Mandela Day was celebrated by Yad Aharon and Michael by inviting members of the Johannesburg community to select one or more of 67 ways to partner with them.
“Whether giving of your time – in a volunteer capacity – or donating money, clothing or items towards a specific project of your choice, there is something apt to feed every soul,” said Jody Eberlin, of Yad Aharon.
Examples she gave were volunteering on a weekly basis, delivering food boxes, adopting a family and sponsoring its food for a year, signing a monthly debit order, donating towards the organisation’s own outreach programme, ensuring there is a Yad Aharon pushka (charity tin) in your home and redeeming Smart Shopper points and donating them to the organisation.
The Union of Jewish Women branches nationally began handing out their specially packaged toothbrush and toothpaste sets, donated by a major manufacturer, to disadvantaged children to promote dental care.
Oral hygienists were visiting schools to give advice as some of the children have never had the opportunity of owning their own toothbrush and are not aware of the importance of dental care.
The United Sisterhood volunteers in Johannesburg celebrated Mandela Day with children from the Sizwe Hospital School. Most of the patients at this hospital are ill with HIV/Aids-related illnesses, says Maria Gonsalves, office manager for the Sisterhood. The hospital is a project of the US.
“They were given a party and each child was presented with a gift.”
Pam Green, of Second Chances, had 320 people at Discovery Soccer Park in a mammoth sandwich-making project called “Spread the Bread”.
“It is in association with Feed a Child and Free Food South Africa. We were given 1 600 loaves of bread and 200 kilos of jam,” she said.
Shmuel Montrose, of Jozi Blue, exhorted the Jewish community to join him in the fight against poverty.
Volunteers made and packaged muffins “for people who have no idea what it’s like to walk into a cozy coffee shopand order a coffee ad muffin…”
At Herzlia Schools in Cape Town which opened on Monday ahead of the Johannesburg Jewish Day Schools, learners participated in 67 minutes of community service for Mandela Day. The high school chose to provide a tea for the 130 residents of the Haven Old Aged Home in Woodstock.
At Herzlia Weizmann Primary the grade 1s and 2s created their own books about numbers, colours and shapes which were donated to underprivileged children, while the grade 3s collected biscuits, chocolates and other delicious treats for the Sea Point firemen.
The entire school participated in the Weizmann 67 Minute Dance-a-thon and all funds were donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Weizmann principal Anton Krupenia said learners “danced their hearts out. We had many conga lines going and lots of fun was had by all.”
VAT IT in Johannesburg together with Reel Gardening and Little Green Men supported the Westbury Youth Centre (WYC) which looks after underprivileged youth.
VAT IT’s initiative was to support an agricultural project which encourages the youth to plant and grow their own produce. The company put “vegetable care packages” together to teach the learners about structure, responsibility as well as how to earn a sustainable income. Each bucket comprised of seeds strips, manure, sawdust and information cards on each vegetable being planted.
