I noticed a lot of people on social media acting very anti 67 min for Mandela Day…charity shouldn’t be boxed in like that they say, people are doing this for publicity, it’s not genuine….

Here’s my humble view…
SO WHAT?!
 What if some people are donating time and money so they can take a selfie? Are kids still being fed? are animals still being taken care of? are gardens still being planted? are projects still getting off the ground?

I always giggle that the people going on about how you should really be doing things everyday not on special days are hardly the Mother Teresa types of this world…I never hear about their year long altruistic endeavours – however since they don’t do it to be seen, I wouldn’t hear about it (hmmmm, well played)

I’ve chatted to many Mother Teresa types over the years (covered many a charity story in my reporting days – it was practically my beat) and they are big fans of volunteers assisting them (provided you have the skills and do not cause any harm… like don’t play doctor when you dont even have first aid training or have an abandoned child grow very fond of you  and then never visit again leaving them feeling abandoned again – no one told me that I’m just using common sense).

Assistance like donating or hands on assistance gives charities funds, exposure and every now and again a heart string is tugged at and they have “committed  contributors”

People don’t always know how to get involved and days like these, these “global charity open houses” opens doors for those who really want to help but don’t know how. Who gives a rats behind if some are sneaking through the door for the sole purpose of self promotion?

I like getting involved in charity projects. I’m nowhere near many of my friends who get involved in community projects on the daily. But I try. I grew up knowing about not having and that motivates me. I have also lost friends from things like kidney failure and cancer so those causes are close to my heart. (I lost my first friend when I was 15 his name was Ashley and we spent so much time trying to raise awareness for his cause, but his kidneys could not hold on)

For Mandela Day I joined the team from Stop hunger now at the Boardwalk on Saturday to pack food parcels for starving kids.
If it was not for that event I would never have known 3million kids go to sleep hungry in South Africa every night – that seems so unreal, so unfair.

The CEO of Stop hunger now SA Saira Khan chatted to us (coincidentally she gave me selfie tips a little later, I kid you not) and revealed that we were aiming to pack 180 thousand meals for kids in our province.
The initiative forms part of global campaign…With a 10million meal target

Siba Mtongana from Siba’s Table is the brand ambassador for the project and with tears in her eyes she spoke about why she helped…how she was once a benificiary of charitable donations and how glad it made her heart that she was now on the other side of the donations…

As a mom of three young kids under six she remarked how it broke her heart that  so many kids go hungry every night…
She quoted Nelson Mandela “Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all” and says that this quote fuels her.

Mandla Mandela echoed her words saying that his grandfather had a soft spot for kids. He remembers sitting at tata Madiba ‘s feet listening to stories and could recall how he and the other grandkids could joke with Madiba that the precidency ended at the gate.

To him (away from limelight and public opinion) Mandela was  just his grandfather, a great man who loved to help others and days like Mandela Day is a chance for any of us to be “just a average Joe or Jane” making a difference and who knows your 67mins can grow into so much more….