Here at LIV Village, Mandela day is so much more than just 67 minutes.
It is about building relationship, interacting on a personal level, assisting a need and serving someone in a less fortunate situation than you and I. Moments like this have the potential to change a life forever.
Mandela Day 2017 will without a doubt be a memory that both our volunteers and children will not soon forget. There was much excitement and hype as we welcomed teams from Unilever, Capsicum Culinary Studio, and Rotary Ballito onto the village on the 18th of July.
Laughter, joy, sweat and even a few tears were shed. We were blessed with delicious hot butternut soup with freshly baked bread being delivered to every home for our moms, children, and staff to eat by Capsicum.
Our homes were stocked ready for winter with 67 warm hand knitted jerseys by the Rotary Team.
An educational and fun demo was done by the team from Life Buoy, where they showed our children how to correctly wash their hands and stay hygienic.
Our sports field was kitted out up with a shiny new fence to stop soccer and rugby balls rolling downhill. Our children were spoilt with new sandpits and for the day the children of the village were treated to a day of festivities. Jumping castles, face painting, bubble-chasing, loads of laughter and having lunch with the team from Unilever.
What a special feeling seeing our children getting involved with our volunteers and watching some of our more shy kids reading stories with them and colouring?
From the photos it is clear to see the day was filled with absolute joy. Smiling, happy faces were all around and the volunteers didn’t shy away of getting their hands dirty.
Although Mandela Day happens only once a year, we are so grateful to those who donated money, those who sacrificed their time and those who simply buy into our vision. We cherish these relationships.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela.
