Go back to school for a day on Mandela Day

The foundation is encouraging corporate South Africans to go Back to School for a Day to celebrate Madiba’s life and his passion for education.

“We call on all South Africans to make a difference in the educational environment of young pupils from disadvantaged schools. We also encourage you to get your hands dirty and make a big difference in education between 17 to 21 July,” Lebere said.

Chief executive officer of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang said, “It is important to volunteer on Mandela Day, people want your time, not your money, and we encourage you to give back to the community.

“Each year, corporates and citizens are invited to go back to their schools and help improve the physical environments where children learn, grow and develop to reach their full potential. Whether it’s painting the walls, planting food gardens or fixing broken furniture, this period should be about South Africans lending a hand to make a difference.”

The Adopt a School initiative also supplies food to pupils because children come to school on an empty stomach due to no food at home, and is empowering communities to have their own vegetable gardens. It also aims to provide shelter for people in need.

According to Hatang, the initiative also plans to expose pupils to career guidance programmes, debating workshops, literacy activities and motivational talks.

This is an initiative inspired by the notion that anybody can make a difference through donating their time, skills and resources.

Details: To be matched up with a school, go to the website www.adoptaschool/backtoschoolforaday.co.za and sign up.

Or join the conversation on Twitter or the Facebook page using #BacktoschoolAAS.

Follow Adopt-a-School Foundation on Facebook, or on Twitter @AdoptaSchoolSA