Every year, South Africa (Thornybush included) celebrates the birth of the man who ushered our country into a new age back in 1994. Nelson Mandela (born July 18th, 1918) may have left us in 2013 but his legacy lives on. We still look to his example to navigate the inevitable obstacles that come with modern times. One of the many initiatives that have developed over time, is the tradition of donating 67 minutes on Mandela Day to making the world a better place for those less fortunate.
This magic number refers to the amount of years he spent in active political service – a minute for every year served.
Donating 67 minutes of your time to charity, projects or initiatives which uplift others has been taken up by individual and corporates around the country, with many large corporations offering this time off to their employees to go out and fulfil their pledges.
As members of the conservation community, charity begins at home for Thornybush. It’s our duty to protect our environment and all that it contains, including the surrounding communities.
On this Mandela Day, Inzalo Community Projects will be hosting a sports-day on the newly refurbished multi-use sports courts. Students, teachers and parents from the community will be introduced to volleyball, netball and tennis by professional coaches. This is to offer a ‘fun day’ out for the students and the people in their lives.
One of Nelson Mandela’s lesser known quotes – “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice” – is something we take quite seriously at Thornybush.
Our community projects have long been the focus of our efforts to help and support the people in our community. Here is a list of the projects and initiatives we’re currently involved in.
This is our longest standing project. Besides offering mentorship, the project helps communities become financially self-sustaining by offering vegetables, herbs and edible flowers to the safari lodges and stores in the surrounding areas. This garden is a resounding success and is a perfect example of how a small, locally owned business, with the right help, can become self-sufficient.
We’ve collaborated on two projects at this school this year, both of which have been extremely exciting. The first was the donation, conversion and installation of two shipping containers into classrooms, offering students a dynamic, creative space in which to learn. The second has been the growth and support of Keysman, a key individual who has taken the school garden from strength to strength and is now operating as a small business. You can read all about these projects on our blog, here and here.
This project is all about environmental education. Its aim is to engage young people on wildlife and nature through photography, offering workshops and a game drive through the Thornybush Nature Reserve where students can practice their new skills. We often showcase the students’ photographs on our Facebook Page, so keep an eye on that to see the budding talents coming out of this area. You can read more about this incredible initiative right here.
Get in touch if you’d like to get involved in supporting our community gardens or if you’d like to find out more about what we are involved in.
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