The children pore over books and newspapers as they wait to tuck into some birthday cake
July 18, 2010 – “Where’s Mr Mandela?”
The question bounced off the walls at the Itumeleng Children’s Shelter in Sunnyside in Pretoria this morning, as people young and old came together to mark the second annual Mandela Day. While Nelson Mandela wasn’t at the shelter in person, his spirit seemed to be everywhere.
Today, officials from the Nelson Mandela Foundation once again joined forces with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), braving the early morning cold to hand over books, toys, blankets and birthday cake to orphans and vulnerable children at the shelter.
Seventeen volunteers from the Foundation and SAQA donated hundreds of books to the boys, as well as blankets, sports equipment and educational toys. They also read to the children and brought them breakfast and a massive birthday cake.
The Foundation’s Information Resources Officer Boniswa Nyati enjoyed being able to give back to her community.
“We’ve come to give these children a good day,” she said. “We want to make them feel happy and special. We want to make them feel loved because that’s very special to them.
“Mr Mandela wants us to do this every day; these kids must feel that there is someone who loves them. Even if they don’t have mothers or fathers, there will always be people like Madiba who are there for them.”
The boys playing with a football that was donated by the volunteers
SAQA’s Director of the National Learners’ Records Database Yvonne Shapiro had an important message for they boys and the volunteers: “You don’t have to be a Mandela to make an amazing difference. Whether you are a Mandela or anyone else, your contribution in your own part of the world is the most important thing.”
Shapiro, who is the sister of local cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro (also known as Zapiro), says that Mr Mandela was always an inspiration, even when he was in prison during apartheid: “We didn’t even know what he looked like, but, although we didn’t see him, we knew he was there and he was doing something. His levels of forgiveness and self-discipline have always been inspirational.”
The cake that was handed over to the excited boys had been given to Mr Mandela by the SABC, ahead of his birthday today. The boys sang “Happy Birthday!” to Mr Mandela several times before the cake, which was shaped like and decorated to resemble Soccer City in Soweto, was cut and its candles blown out.
After grabbing a slice of cake, the boys sat down with the volunteers to read through the books that were handed over.
Paging through a copy of Nelson Mandela: the Official Comic Book, 16-year-old Eddy said, “I enjoy reading the books! It is a very nice day.”
His 14-year-old friend, Mark, who was sitting pressed against Eddy, added, “I’m celebrating Mandela’s day. I like the books and the cake; I will think of him every time I take my books to read.”
Eighteen boys between the ages of six and 18 call the shelter home. Two childcare workers, who act as “house fathers”, look after the boys. They take part in outreach programmes aimed at street children, speaking to youths about why they’re living or working on the streets and informing them about the services the shelter offers.
The shelter’s “drop-in” services are available to youngsters and young adults who are in need of care but are unable to stay at the shelter; they are given access to warm meals, laundry services, counselling, skills development and more. Up to 40 people make use of these “drop-in” services on a daily basis. The shelter was set up in 1993, in an effort to remove children from the streets of Sunnyside and place them in safe care.
Bushy Mphahlele, the Foundation’s head of support services, said that today was all about the former president and his legacy: “In so many ways it is because of Mr Mandela that we are with these children, to cheer them up and show them that education will make them better people in the future. The small things that people do, when they’re all put together – they’re amazing.”
Every year, on July 18, people around the world are urged to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to making a difference in their communities, in the name of the former president and world icon. The initiative is in recognition of the 67 years Mr Mandela dedicated to humanitarian work and the fight for social justice, and gives global citizens the opportunity to celebrate and honour his legacy.
Throughout Mr Mandela’s career he has been admired for his commitment to providing education to the children of South Africa. It was in this spirit that today’s handover took place.
Last year, the Foundation and members of SAQA visited four children’s homes in the greater Pretoria area: Boitumelo Community Home Centre, Mahube Home, Tshwane Home of Hope and Bophelong Children’s Home. Read more about the 2009 Mandela Day event.
A boy enjoys reading one of the books supplied by the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The boys gather to enjoy cake and browse the books that were donated
The Soccer City birthday cake that was given to the boys by the Nelson Mandela Foundation
The boys cut the birthday cake, in honour of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on July 18
A young boy is taken through one of the hundreds of books that were donated by a volunteer
Volunteers outside the Itumeleng Children’s Shelter in Pretoria