- Wheel Well-News
What is the purpose of Mandela Day?
Each year, on the day of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, Mandela Day is celebrated across the world. The day is not a public holiday, but rather a day to honour the legacy and values of the man through giving to the community. You can contribute by volunteering your time, raising funds, or donating what you can to help the needy.
“Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are”
Mandela Day theme in 2022
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic further impacted vulnerable communities in South Africa, leaving those who were already struggling to make ends meet in dire straits.
The theme for 2022 is “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are”. It means look around you, there is likely someone in need on your doorstep, and do what you can to make a difference, no matter how small.
This year, the Nelson Mandela Foundation will be framing its Mandela Day work around its food and nutrition programme, focusing their efforts around promoting community and backyard gardens, supporting fruit and indigenous tree planting, and creating awareness of the intersections between food security and climate change.
In support of the Mandela Day campaign, the foundation urges people to participate in sustainable interventions with lasting impact to help vulnerable communities. For example:
- Plant and grow fresh, organic and cost-effective food.
- Plant and grow trees, particularly fruit trees in support of food production.
- Invest in sustainable food production platforms.
It also urges people to embrace sustainability as part of the contribution to protecting the environment and the challenge of climate change. If you have a garden, no matter the size, there are so many ways you can make a difference. For example:
- Plant your own produce organically, from herbs and spices to fruit and vegetables.
- Don’t throw away garden waste but use it to mulch or make your own compost.
- Invest in a food waste system, like a bokashi bin or worm composting.
- Only plant indigenous and drought-tolerant plants, grasses, shrubs, trees, and so on.
- Collect rain water.
How Wheel Well makes a difference
Sustainability also means less waste and more recycling instead of buying new and throwing away what we no longer use.
Wheel Well is all about reuse and recycle. They collect used children’s car seats and professionally refurbishes them before distributing to less fortunate families. They’ve also created a “seat exchange” where donated seats are thoroughly cleaned and checked for defects, and where lower income families can receive child seats in return for an affordable donation. Once outgrown, parents can return the unused seat and the cycle is perpetuated.
If you have a used child seat you would like to donate, you can do your bit for Mandela Day by dropping it off at any Supa Quick branch where it will be collected, restored, and put to good use again.
Conclusion
The message of Mandela Day is take action and inspire change. Each individual has the power to transform the world and the ability to make an impact. Together we can make a difference, one step at a time.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of the content.
