For more information about how you can participate in or help support this programme please visit the Nelson Mandela Fund website.

Masande Drama Group entetained at the celebration: Photo: Development Works

Catholic Welfare and Development (CDW) has re-launched its Bonne Esperance Refugee Shelter for Woman and Children. They recently celebrated this momentous occasion with a special post –Refugee Day gathering.

The celebration kicked off with CDW Director, Lungisa Huna giving a brief history of Bonne Esperance and linked the work they have done to the Cape Townbased development organization’s mission of unleashing the ability of individuals and supporting community independence.  Representatives Vanessa Coulson and Chae Li Diong from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) grabbed the audience’s attention as they spoke of the international lawful situation, relating to refugee and why the role of amenities like Bonne Esperance are vital to the local refugee response.

There was an especially memorable moment when a Home Affairs representative addressed the serious challenges asylum seekers face during the application process and how Bonne Esperance has assisted with addressing backlogs.  It was mentioned that Bonne Esperance made sure that “no stones are left unturned” when it comes to helping foreigners in need.  Survivors of conflict, trauma and dislocation from their home countries and former Bonne Esperance residents, also made appearances at the launch to testify to the Shelter staff’s commitment.

According to a press release for the event, through Bonne Esperance, vulnerable women are supported and the cycle of violence is breached and young people are guided towards heartwarming lives. The Shelter also encourages local integration that includes getting South Africans to understand reasons behind refugee migration intoSouth Africaby facilitating educational training in response to the racism, xenophobic attacks that surfaced in May 2008. To date Bonne Esperance has assisted approximately 20 000 people; opened its doors to the defenseless and helped them transition into a reconstruction and healing phase ; as well as assisted over 60 families with rehabilitation and reintegration  into communities around Cape Town.

To learn more about the Bonne Esperance Shelter please visit their website by clicking here.

Hands of Love sent pupils to School.Photo:HALO

Creative Consulting & Development Works has been promoting the great work of Hands of Love Outreach (HALO) since we first heard about them in 2010. Based in Mthatha, this amazing organization aims to reach out and improve lives of people living in resource deprived communities.

Recently, the organization expanded its mission beyond providing for the immediate needs of their clientele (like food and warm clothing) by opening a residential shelter onCallaway Streetin Mthatha which caters to their long term needs.  Recently, they went as far as adopting an entire extended family group that consists of approximately 38 members in Ngangelizwe near Mthatha.

A member of HALO, Sinethemba Dywili, says 13 of the kids from the family were sent to different schools around their community. The Grade 9 pupil is attending classes at Zimele School, the grade 11 is at Ngangelizwe High School and the rest are enrolled at Nxeko Mtirara Primary School.

“The organization would like to get financial assistance to fulfill their dream of sending half, if not all of the children living there to school next year,” Dywili said.

We encourage all of our readers to help Hands of Love Outreach (HALO).  To find out more and to donate please click here.

Dancers showcase their skills. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

Many South Africans have dreams, desires and interests that they are unable to pursue, due to the limited availability of information in their community. Faced with this challenge, they often lose hope and begin to believe drugs and alcohol abuse as well as violence and crime are the only things that help them to feel fulfilled. With increased focus on personal development and access to information it would be possible for community organizations to help community members fulfill their dreams and avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse and violence in their own lives.

Dance for all, an Athlone based Outreach Programme, looked at the challenges facing community members and came up with a solution. They aimed to offer children in historically deprived communities with an opportunity for enjoyment, upliftment and promotion of self – esteem through the medium of dance, as well as training for young people who hope to become professional dancers. This has lead to the development of a unique, indigenous dance company that embodies creativity and culture. They also offer these classes at other service points in the surrounding townships of Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Langa.

Eight dance teachers from the United States (US) are expected to come and share their dancing skills with participants.  The list of visiting teachers includes founder of the LEAP programme at St Mary’s College Claire Sheridan, a regular visitor to Dance for All, Kristine Elliot, Geren Scribner, Lucy Van Cleef, Olivia Ramsay, David Tamaki, Annie Colbeck and Alejandro Piris Nino. They will work with students over the next two weeks designing and producing an on-site dance that includes movement classes, repertory and choreographic workshops.

Anyone who is interested in this amazing dance experience is exclusively invited to two performances offered by this initiative from Friday 08 July at 16:30 or Saturday, 9 July at 11:30 in their Dance for All studios in Athlone.

The entrance fee of R25.00 for an adult and one of R15.00 for kids will help you to get inspired and assist you in finding your new hobby.

We can all rise above our current situations and become what we want to be in lives!!!

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Mandela Day, was first introduced on 18 July 2009, the former Nelson Mandela’s birthday, its aim is to persuade people to contribute 67 minutes of their time to make the world a better place.

International Nelson Mandela Day 2011 was launched on 23 May at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg.  The ceremony involved tertiary students who marked the occasion by expressing their views on what the celebration means to them. According to mediaclubsouthafrica.com, the launch garnered such widespread media attention due in part to popular South African rapper JR’s new song dedicated to Mandela Day, ‘See you in July’.

It is said that, when Sello Hatang, the Mandela Foundation’s spokesperson, asked students to speak about Mandela.Day and how it should be celebrated,Mandela’s grandson, Luvuyo Mandela, mentioned that as a family they have always celebrated his gradfather’s birthday in their home town of Umtata, Qunu in the Eastern Cape, by making food parcels so they can allocate to them less fortunate.  Another youth, Raymond Ntlozi, explained that he honours Mandela Day by volunteering and funraising at children’s home in Zuurbekom, southwest Johannesburg.

Mediaclubsouthafrica.com states that, Breadline Africa, a South African-based NGO, has partnered with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the NYK Helping Hand Scheme to offer a mobile library to a primary school in all nine provinces of South Africa as part of this year’s Mandela Day celebrations.

This year, NYK contributed R500 000 to the project for Mandela Day. Each library container costs nearly R90 000 to convert and renovate.

Tim Smith, director of Breadline Africa is quoted saying, “we buy sturdy, water-tight containers at a low cost and transform them into mobile structures, which we can use to feed, educate or use as a clinic. Our projects try to establish a level of self-sustainability within the community.”

From 6 June, people haven been encouraged to participate every Monday by giving back to the next person, the community or the environment for Mandela Mondays. People can take as little as five minutes out of their lives for this activity!

So how are YOU honouring the spirit of community service this Mandela Monday?  Let us know by leaving a comment here or on our Facebook page.