Mandela Day

Baby Steps Early Learning Centre supports El-Shammah Home for Abandoned Babies for Mandela Month. The home is situated at 5 Carnation Street, Primrose, Germiston. The main objective of the home is to care for abandoned and unwanted babies from newborn to about two years of age. Baby Steps stepped in to assist the staff and home with things they need. The centre called on Baby Steps parents to donate second-hand baby grows, toys, nappies and formula.

Nelson Mandela gave South Africans the gift of hope; and to honour his legacy, ‘Nursery School of the Arts’ would like to invite not only our parents attending the school but businesses and small corporations to make our annual Soup Kitchen a bigger and better. Our staff, children and parents will be assisting in handing out all things warm and delicious from hot soup, tea and coffee, biscuits and cupcakes to the members of the public walking to work.

We believe in teaching our young children that the gift of giving and helping others less fortunate than ourselves, can bring true happiness and a sense of self-worth.

‘Sunny Side Up Programme’

Since the opening in 2012, ‘Nursery School of the Arts’ has been supporting underprivileged children. Through our charity work we contribute to orphanages through collections and donations from our attending families. Our hearts go out to these little ones, so young, so small, their futures uncertain. As a place of learning, we feel it is our duty to offer these children an education where they may grow, flourish and above all, to let them know that they are important and loved.

Our ‘Sunny Side Up Program’ is offered to prospective companies, businesses or individuals that would like to sponsor an underprivileged child to attend ‘Nursery School of the Arts’ until they are Grade 1 school ready.

Saheti School learners have taken the mantle given by former President Nelson Mandela by giving back with a number of initiatives this Mandela Month. Belinda Soobramoney, HOD for life science and outreach coordinator, said Saheti Primary School learners will be honouring Mandela Day by conducting a food drive for two charity organisations, Hellenic Orthodox Ladies Association (Hola) and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard at Primrose Methodist. Hola is a committee made up of voluntary women from all walks of life. Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is a feeding scheme at Primrose Methodist which helps the poor and needy congregation at their church and the wider Primrose community with food twice a week. Soobramoney said the learners have raised funds by hosting concerts to collect food donations. They also collected food items. Saheti Pre-Primary and Play School will be supporting Stegi Agapis, a home for underprivileged Greek families and Nomikeios Greek Old Age Home, a non-profit organisation caring for elderly of Greek Cypriot origin. “With Stegi Agapis and Nomikeios the young learners perform musicals or plays and hand out pamper packs and lunch. The residents love to have chats with the learners,” said Soobramoney. Saheti High School learners recently treated children from Kids Haven, between the ages of three and 12, to movies and lunch. Learners raised funds to assist for the day by selling tickets to their major theatre production Prometheus. “We have had a relationship with Kids Haven for 10 years. We have hosted many netball and soccer matches and fun days in support of Kids Haven,” said Soobramoney. “Saheti has an ongoing commitment tomaking a difference in the community with many initiatives in support of Mandela Day,”

said Soobramoney.

In celebration of Mandela Day, the Bedfordview and Edenvale News has once again teamed up with Karaglen Shopping Centre and Karaglen SuperSpar to help two community organisations in dire need.

The partnership aims to help animals and people in need by collecting much-needed donations.

Donations for Edenvale SPCA and Khanyisa Soup Kitchen can be dropped off outside the entrance to Karaglen SuperSpar during shopping hours.

Angel Mdlalose, manager of the Karaglen SuperSpar who has assisted the NEWS in previous Mandela Day projects, said she is very excited about the initiative.

On Mandela Day the donations will be taken to the two organisations.

With 2019 halfway done Edenglen High School is ready to face term three head on. The School has several large projects line up, most notable being its plans to help Eden Angels, Mandela 67 Blankets and the Sunward Samaritans on Mandela day.

Edenglen High School Grade 10 learners Elizabeth Chibambo and Alyssa Krishna are ready to kick off term three by supporting local charities.