We congratulate our winners and runners-up, and share with you the Mandela Day initiatives carried out by OtD teams.
1st place: OtDPaarden Eiland The team visited Alison Galant and her husband from the Belhar community in Cape Town, who provide helpings of food for about 200 people. This is a feeding scheme which Alison Galant and her husband conduct on a daily basis and is funded from their own pocket. The meals are prepared over an open fire outdoors and are served to less fortunate individuals within the community.
“We were privileged to be able to help them with a gas stove, as well as the meals. Most of the staff has committed to make this part of their 24 commitment as an ongoing project." 2nd place: Pamphlets Operations, Western Cape Region The team partnered with a literacy organisation called Read to Rise. The organisation aims to provide every Grade 2 and 3 child in Mitchells Plain with a prescribed book to own.
The team sponsored an entire class with the prescribed book and on Mandela Day they got to cover the books with plastic wrapping. A handover of the books will be done, where the team members involved will get to interact with the pupils by spending time reading to them.
3rd place: Port Elizabeth (Newspapers & Leaflets) The team took on the streets of Port Elizabeth, sitting at the back of a vehicle pouring cups of soup for the not-so-privileged individuals living on the streets. With a very warm heart and thankful attitude these individuals accepted our small offer.
OtD Benoni The team visited Kids Haven, where they assisted with sorting out of books and helped move a large amount of cereal boxes into their store room.
OtD Bloemfontein The team donated food items to the children from
Ons Kinderhuis. The children at Ons Kinderhuis come from abused and neglected homes in and around Bloemfontein.
Pamphlets, Durban The OtD Pamphlets Durban depot chose
Neil’s Comfort Fund in Pietermaritzburg for our Mandela day initiative.
The fund collects clothes, food, wheelchairs and toys for homeless children, elderly and less fortunate schools. The team brought items of clothing from their homes and donated it to the fund. They also volunteered of their time to help go through the clothing in the warehouse, which needed to be sorted into different piles.
OtD East London The team visited a house of safety in East London for women, men and children.
They spent time handing out some magazines that was sponsored by Associate magazines. They also handed out goodie bags, baby soaps and beef stock sponsored by Move Magazine Product Manager.
As part of their ongoing support the East London team will visit the house regularly for the year and also collect some clothing for the residents.
“This day has once again opened our eyes reminded us what we need to be thankful for.” OtD George The branch decided to support the
local SPCA as their initiative for Mandela Day.
“The branch provided the SPCA with donations of dog and cat food and all the staff inolved were excited about having the opportunity to spoil the animals. The staff at the SPCA had welcomed the OtD team with open arms." Media Sales and Logistics, Port Elizabeth Together with their Merchandising team, they raised funds to make up party packs for the children at
Imfundo Pre-School located in Malabar, Port Elizabeth.
Their day:
“We arrived at the school to be welcomed with beautiful little faces running up to us and giving us big hugs. We proceeded to have a little photo shoot with our local Die Burger newspaper and Teen Miss Port Elizabeth, Rochelle Momberg.
"We handed out our party packs and sponsored Kids Super Club to the children who were extremely excited. We stayed and spent a little time with them, helping them with their hotdogs. It was truly a wonderful, heartwarming experience.” Moloto Mabatamela - Ormonde Warehouse Moloto carried out his Mandela Day initiative in his personal capacity.
It had involved the following:
During 2016 Moloto has visited the
Mandela Children’s Hospital, and has made a pledge to deposit R1 per minute (67 mins) = R67 into the Mandela Children’s Hospital at Standard Bank.
In Africa there are only five children’s hospitals: two in Egypt, one in Cape Town, one in Kenya, and the Mandela Children’s Hospital will be the fifth.
OtD Pongola OtD Pretoria Gardens The team went to Huis Ebenhaeser located in Dasport, Pretoria North. They donated clothing, food and meat.
Huis Ebenhaeser was formed as a faith-based non-profit organisation to provide a safe and stable home for children who have been neglected, abandoned, abused or caught up in family turmoil. They are not supported by government funding and rely solely on donors and volunteers to help them to fulfill their mission. They currently house 36 children and 20 adults.
OtD Sacks Circle The Christine Revell Children’s Home provides full-time care for up to 49 babies and children, from birth to six years of age, who have been referred to them by social workers and placed by order of a children’s court. The children are either neglected, abandoned, abused or orphaned and are accepted at the home irrespective of HIV status, race or gender.
Our team donated R67 each as well as food items, toiletries, diapers, detergents, snack boxes and toys. At the home, the team got together and did the washing, mopping, cleaning of dishes, feeding, and gardening.
Pamphlets sales and operations, Media Park Jhb The team donated R67 each and bought sweets and other goodies for
Epworth Children's Home in Germiston. The team played soccer and netball with the children for 67 minutes and handed out the sweet packs, which were enjoyed by the children.
System Support and Administration, Media Park Jhb The SSA Department collected food and clothing items and donated them to the St Laurences Children’s Haven.
St Laurence’s Children’s Haven is a non-profit organisation that was founded in January 2001 under the auspices of the Roodepoort Child and Family Welfare Society.
The Haven was the dream of a group of lifelong friends, whose mission is to offer abused, neglected and abandoned children love and care in a secure and warm environment.
