July 2024 saw LH Marthinusen (LHM) come to the party in their efforts to support the global celebration of Mandela Day. The Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.
LHM management called on all staff to support their Mandela Day initiative by donating cash, non-perishable food items, clothing (new or old), toys, blankets, or books—and they did not disappoint.
The organisations that LHM is supporting are:
EPC primary school –located around the corner from LHM’s Denver branch, cares for the educational needs of just under 200 children from Gr R - 7 in the Denver area and is not government-funded.
Kids Haven - There are two premises in Benoni: the “Centre,” where the boys aged 12 and older are housed in Central Benoni town, and the “Village,” which is in Mackenzie Park (Benoni). The Village consists of three houses where the boys younger than 12 and all the girls are housed. Kids Haven has around 250 children who are permanently housed, fed and clothed daily, including getting them to school and back.
El-Shammah Babies – A welfare organisation based in Germiston whose primary goal is to care for abandoned and unwanted babies.
On the day, a group of LHM Staff members rolled up their sleeves and put on hair nets to serve the needs of the children at the EPC primary school. According to Charmaine Hall, Divisional Human Capital Manager, LHM, “Our staff had the fantastic opportunity to see the joy and smiles they put on each little one’s face, whether through serving them delicious soup, playing and laughing along with them, handing out our beautifully branded LHM winter hampers, or just hugging them”.
The cash donations received for Mandela Day have been combined with LHM’s Staff Community Fund and have been designated to assist Kids Haven in installing a Water Solution System at their Haven Care Centre; the centre currently cares for the needs of approximately 80 people per day. Thirty-six of these are children abused, women & families from the Ekurhuleni area that have been left destitute.
“A big thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and supported LHM’s 2024 Mandela Day. A special thanks and appreciation need to go out to all LHM staff members & management because, through all the hard work each of you puts into this initiative, we can help the community in need around us. It was a special day to remember, and we sincerely hope to continue such initiatives to support those less fortunate around us.
Therefore, we are calling this Part 1 because it is not over; we are still collecting and collating donations for the children and babies in need at Kids Haven, Ikhaya da Luz, and El-Shammah. Please continue to support the spirit of Mandela Day”, Hall concluded.
“Giving is not just about making a Donation; it’s about making a Difference.”