Rebuilding homes in Alex on Mandela Day

Tourism group, Tourvest Holdings rebuilt 10 homes in Alex as part of its Mandela Day activities.

The group celebrated Nelson Mandela’s birthday in Alexandra and pledged its support to the Mandela Day initiative by re-building the low-cost houses. This marks the fourth year that the group has been involved in this humanitarian initiative, bringing the total number of homes rebuilt over the period to 35.

The homes that were rebuilt were identified by non-governmental organisation, Afrika Tikkun in consultation with the community’s leaders and social workers, as those belonging to people most in need of better living conditions.

Afrika Tikkun, which had Nelson Mandela as its patron-in-chief, provides education, health and social services to children and their families through centres of excellence in South African townships. Its mission is to develop children and the youth into contributing citizens and its projects are located in Alex, Diepsloot, Hillbrow and Orange Farm.

Tourvest chief operating officer, Judi Nwokedi said the company enjoyed a productive and rewarding social partnership with Afrika Tikkun which in addition to monetary contributions, also involves regular donations of food, blankets and stationery distributed to the children attending school at Afrika Tikkun’s centres and other community centres.

“This is the first year we taken our Mandela initiative to Alex. All the previous homes we have rebuilt over the years are located in Diepsloot. Alexandra is much larger and older than Diepsloot, and while abject poverty is common in both these townships, there are different underlying structural problems,” she said.