Mandela Day is one of our favourite days at Simbithi. We spend time thoughtfully planning and co-ordinating our activities, curating an experience that honours the legacy of human rights icon, Nelson Mandela, and allows those who participate to contribute to society. It is a pivotal date on our Community Social Investment (CSI) calendar, and we are excited to show you this year’s highlight reel.
This year, we chose to do two social activations, to enable our entire team to participate, and to provide options for our residents to volunteer. Each activation was scheduled for 67 minutes which, according to the Mandela Day official website, is in recognition of the 67 years Madiba fought for human rights, internationally.
Activation 1: Snacks on Deck
The first activation took place on the Country Club deck, where our team set up three assembly lines for the creation of 267 lunch packs. At the first station, Chef Rahul Bansee (our pastry whiz) patiently taught volunteers how to swirl buttercream onto cupcakes to make the perfect specimen. We had an abundance of sprinkles for the cupcakes – because, what is a cupcake without sprinkles – and the last group of volunteers folded boxes, and popped a cupcake in each.
The second station saw loaves upon loaves of bread being buttered and filled with chicken and mayonnaise, ham and cheese, egg and mayonnaise and cheese and tomato under the watchful eye of Executive Chef Louis Lesch. Volunteers were placed ‘on the pass’, expeditiously packing the sandwiches for transport.
Finally, the treats made their way to the packing station, where the sandwiches and cupcakes were placed into bags with a drink. Later that afternoon, our security team delivered the packs to two organisations: Haven of Rest, a NGO in Tongaat that cares for children, the elderly, recovering substance abuse users and abused women, and Westbrook Retirement Village, a home for the elderly.
Activation 2: School in Session
After a short break, we packed up our tools and headed for RA Padayachee School in Shakashead, just a short drive from Simbithi. Here, we planted a vegetable garden under the guidance of our environmental team. Many of our staff’s children, and our residents’ staff’s children, are taught here. The school is a no-fee institution located on Shakas Rock Main Road and caters for more than 1000 children.
Earlier in the week, a team from McWades Landscapes, our landscaping service provider, prepared the soil and created pathways for the garden. We planted spinach, cabbage and spring onion. Our team will visit the school periodically to ensure the garden is well-maintained, also passing on knowledge to interested learners. We will also evaluate the plants seasonally, to introduce new vegetables.
As we shared with our community, RA Padayachee was vandalised seriously earlier this year, following an alleged incident of petrol bombing at the administrative building. Our maintenance team assisted with reconstructing the gutted offices, painting, and installing new air-conditioners. We also cleaned gutters, fixed the pre-primary play area, and donated soccer nets (previously at the Guineafowl Sports Field) for the learners.
Thank you to everyone who pitched in to make #SimbithiMandelaDay25 a success. As Tata once said, “it is in [y]our hands to create a better world for all who live in it”.
