Mandela Day

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 Looking Back at Mandela Day: A Day of Learning, Service, and Unity

This year's Mandela Day celebrated by Sakhimfundo was an experience in a lifetime. As an intern in Public Relations and Communication Management, I did not only attend the event, I lived it. From organising from the beginning to video reflections at closure, all aspects of the process taught me more about service, cooperation, and Ubuntu spirit.

In the lead up to Mandela Day, we worked together and raised awareness. We designed posters, put them up on platforms such as Facebook, and encouraged others to support us in doing something good for society. The goal was to inform people of the initiative of Mandela Day and encourage them to participate, not just on the day of the celebration but in the spirit of it.

Tab on the link to see my post

We cleaned up parts of Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital during the day in partnership with UJ Community Engagement. This was not just about cleaning a space, it was about bringing dignity and care back to an institution that provides for so many. The smiles, conversations, and even just working alongside each other made the experience so overwhelmingly humbling and touching.


Subsequently, I helped plan a three-day parents training programme for the folks of Alexandra. We blogged. to post the experiences, parents receiving books for children through to play and learn demonstrations of emotional intelligence. I helped write content, photograph and video, write posts, and even support with registrations. To see how these small things brought people together reminded me why Mandela Day is such an important initiative.

Tab on the link to see the video post

At the end of it, I did a video reflection and uploaded it to LinkedIn, looking back on all that we had done to be present with the community on the ground to using our skills to share the story online. Mandela Day reminded us that even small things when done with consideration and purpose can leave an enduring impact.

This was not about accomplishing the task. It was about becoming part of the legacy of Mandela and recognizing that all of us have a role to play in making a better world. And it starts with turning up, lending a hand, and letting our actions speak louder than words.

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