BRAND VOICE | In the spirit of helping to address social injustice in South Africa, Vodacom has renewed its support of the global movement for #ActionAgainstPoverty in celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day 2017.
In each of its seven regions, Vodacom employees, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Department of Basic Education, Gift of the Givers, Kaizer Chiefs Football Club, the Blue Bulls, Wheelchair Basketball SA and the media raced against the clock to pack as many food parcels as possible within 67 minutes ahead of Mandela Day.
This initiative forms part of a larger project facilitated by the Vodacom Foundation, building on its annual food security drive in honour of Mandela Day, launched in 2013. This year, the project will see an estimated 50,000 buckets of nutritional food for children and families in need distributed to previously disadvantaged schools across the country. A total of R5.2-million has been spent on the packing and distribution of food parcels for Mandela Day this year.
In Midrand, the volunteers were divided into groups of 100 and asked to pack the maximum number of 2,500 food parcels in 67-minute sessions spread over two days. It was an ambitious target, as each parcel to be distributed contained canned beans or vegetables, jam, pilchards, tea, soup, mielie meal, stock and Cerevita cereal, as well as a stationery pack for learners consisting of an A5 exercise book, a pen, a pencil, a ruler, a sharpener, an eraser and a lollipop.
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said: “As the world reflects on Nelson Mandela’s legacy, we give thanks for his life, his leadership, and his devotion to humanity and humanitarian causes. We salute and thank him for his sacrifices for our freedom and our future.”
He said: “Ubuntu is one of the values that we embrace at Vodacom and, as such, the genesis of Vodacom joining the Nelson Mandela Foundation in celebrating Mandela Day is because the Vodacom Foundation’s work stems from Mandela’s passing of the torch of public service to everyone, saying, ‘We can change the world and make it a better place. It’s in your hands to make a difference.’”
Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, said: “This year marks the fifth year with Vodacom as a dedicated partner helping to take Madiba’s legacy forward.”
Since the launch of the Nelson Mandela food packing programme in 2013, Vodacom employees and stakeholders have packed more than 193,000 food parcels.
Joosub added that July 18 was important to the Vodacom family and its customers because of its implied recognition of Mandela's contribution to the creation of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic South Africa.
To celebrate a man who dedicated his life to bringing about change to South Africa, taking part in an initiative to feed the hungry and help the needy was a service to humanity befitting Tata's legacy as an inspiration to the world, Joosub said.
Fifty thousand food parcels packed and distributed by Vodacom employees will be distributed to 60 schools nationally.
– Sunday Times in association with the Vodacom Foundation
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