In the spirit of Mandela Day, the bank encouraged everyone to remember that overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, but it is an act of justice.
Earlier this year, the bank launched a Facebook Volunteerism campaign where it challenged community members to nominate a non-profit organisation in their community which would receive R10 000 funding together with support from Nedbank volunteers for Mandela Day.
One of the conditions was that the nominated organisation must be a registered non-profit organisation and that the nominator has been personally volunteering at the organisation for a minimum of six months.
“It is amazing what we can do when we come together behind a common cause and I trust that the rest of South Africa is inspired to do their fair share,” said Nedbank chief executive, Mike Brown.
During the months of June and July, the bank partnered with various stakeholders and employees to make things happen through 61 projects. The projects include a distribution of blankets worth R900 000, planting trees, nutrition programmes, establishing vegetable gardens and literacy initiatives, particularly for the elderly and early childhood development organisations.
The bank has also provided R250 000 to the Ray Mhlaba Skills Centre which empowers members of the Nelson Mandela Bay community with skills to develop careers and opportunities to help them become active contributors to the economy.
This year’s nominated organisations that Nedbank will support include:
Gauteng: Alexanders Harvest Time, Roodepoort
Gauteng: Impophomo, Zandspruit
Western Cape: Little Fighters Cancer Trust, Paarl
Limpopo: Pearl Edu Vision, Sekhukhune
Limpopo: Liremi Career Foundation: Makhitha Village, Louis Trichardt
Mpumalanga: Millennium Home of Hope, White River
Eastern Cape: Masibulele Pre-school, Marseille
Details: volunteers@nedbank.co.za
Tell us on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page what you did with your 67 minutes on Mandela Day on 18 July
