Nelson Mandela Day
July 28, 2011
Sophia Ayissi tells us a bit about her experience on the Nelson Mandela Day:
In 2009 Nelson Mandela’s Birthday was internationally declared Nelson Mandela Day by the United Nations. Every year on the 18th of June, everyone; individuals, organizations, companies; has the opportunity to take action and to make the world a better place by serving the community in a 67-minutes-action.
DFL Scholar Lesley Nkosi took action for the Nelson Mandela Day, not only collecting blankets and clothes and handing them out to homeless people in Jozi, but also initiating a mentorship program that creates a network between skilled people like lawyers and doctors and the people needing their help.
As we enter Pick ’n Pay, we’ve got R500 in our pockets and many ideas what to get for the homeless people at the Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein. In the end we carry a lot of cakes, fruits, coke and hot tea to the bridge and install them next to the bunch of donated clothes and blankets. As our group consisting of homeless people, supporters and friends is big enough, Lesley starts a couple of “games for actors and non-actors” to loosen up the atmosphere. The most popular game is the slow motion race: the slowest wins. Everyone’s bright and laughing faces clearly show how happy everyone is about the distraction from their hard everyday life.
Finally we hand out the food, the drinks and the other items. It’s remarkable how humans want to maintain their individuality, their own personality, no matter what situation they’re in: one of the homeless people insists on taking a small, but colorful blanket for children, instead of taking a big and much warmer grey blanket.
When there are still some blankets left over, Lesley decides to drive through Braamfontein with us. And as we’re handing out the blankets to homeless people sitting in the streets, we wish them a “Happy Mandela Day”.