Celebrated each year on the great former president’s birthday, Nelson Mandela International Day aims to inspire a ripple of good deeds throughout the world. We are to spend at least 67 minutes doing something positive for our communities in honour of the 67 years that Nelson spent fighting for the rights of humanity.

Here are some ways in which you can make a difference with your 67 minutes.

    • Make a few sandwiches or buy fruit to hand out to those in need on your way to work.
    • Volunteer to help with the day-to-day tasks undertaken by local charities, or offer a specialised service based on your own unique skill. Baffled about where to start? Visit http://www.charity-charities.org/SouthAfrica-charities/SouthAfrica.html.
    • De-clutter your house and donate the unwanted items to a charity of your choice.
    • Implement a recycling system for your rubbish. Separate your food waste from your solid waste, create a container for the recyclable items, and consider making a worm farm to compost your biodegradable leftovers. Buy a geyser blanket to reduce the amount of power needed to heat the water and install eco-friendly taps and showerheads to save water.
    • Is your neighbour a single parent? See if you can babysit for an evening.
    • Visit a lonely pensioner for a cup of tea or cook him or her a meal. While you’re there, change blown light bulbs, sew a button back on, fix a hem, etc.
    • Donate blood. You’ll feel dizzy knowing that you’ve potentially saved someone’s life; a single donation could aid up to three people in need and only takes about 30 minutes. Visit http://www.sanbs.org.za/index.php/where-can-i-donate to find your closest donor centre.
    • Take time to register with the Organ Donor Foundation (tel 0800 22 66 11).
    • Volunteer at an animal shelter. Whether you’re walking a dog, cleaning out cages, or brainstorming a fundraising campaign, your time and energy will be much appreciated.
    • Take a security guard a cup of coffee or help your children draw a thank you card for their teacher. Give way to another car in traffic, offer your seat to someone when travelling on public transport, or encourage a colleague at work. These gestures may seem small, but the ripple effect has to start somewhere.

 

For more ways in which you can contribute to your community, visit http://www.mandeladay.com/calendar

 

Sources
www.capetownmagazine.com/mandela-day
www.charitysa.co.za