Cheers, spirit raised at Hospice on Mandela Day
ALEXANDRA – Inmates, private-public partnership feed hospice patients on Mandela Day.
Patients at Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre were cheered up through public and private partnership’s generosity on Mandela Day.
This was by several organisations which donated food, goodies blankets and topped up the event with music and dance which brought out the best foot work from some of the terminally ill patients.
The centre’s Ethel Mokwena said, “Music is a universal language which numbs the pain,” in reference to renditions of melodious cultural songs and traditional dances by multi-award winning Alex-based group Amakhono We Sintu.
The group also donated fruits and left the patients with elevated spirits on this 2019 addition of the globally esteemed day. In fulfilment of the group’s ethos, Themba Kubheka said their mission was to lift the morale and help heal others in keeping with the African spirit of Ubuntu espoused by former late President Nelson Mandela whose face was forever bubbly and beaming.
Seema Naidoo of Sunninghill-based, Hope To Heal Foundation said it was part of their outreach to help uplift others and give hope to the abandoned and not loved. The organisation conducts awareness and education about the impact of crime to society and victims, teen pregnancies, suicide, abuse and HIV. “We bring hope to help them heal and empower them to speak and to not be scared to report any abuse or when they need help,” Naidoo said.
They donated 30 blankets to the patients as requested by the centre to fend them from the winter chill – on a full day when they also donated more blankets, nappies, toiletries, teddy bears, groceries,biscuits, drinks and chips to among others, Bombani Centre for Abused Women also in Alexandra, children’s homes in Tembisa, Diepsloot and to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Clinic. Naidoo said they also produce educational books and publications with information on how to handle abuse and referral services for help.
Staff from Region E of the Joburg City Council were also on hand with a donation of drinks, water and disposal aprons to the centre staff who operated on a tight budget and were often forgotten. The Department of Correctional Services chipped in with labour from inmates who were enthralled to help while also gaining practical skills in tiling and painting they will use for work opportunities after their release. “Its a free service the department will provide in the long term when requested to help the budget-constrained centre,” said senior correctional officer Frans Molekwa.
Pick n Pay Gallo Manor branch contributed by nourishing the patients with bread and soup.
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