On July 18th each year, people worldwide dedicate 67 minutes of their time towards serving and giving back to their communities on what has become widely known as Mandela Day. Observed on his birthday, these 67 minutes of service symbolises the 67 years that Madiba spent fighting for equality and human rights for all South African citizens.
Oxford University Press Southern Africa (OUPSA) celebrated the day by visiting St. George’s Home for Girls in Wynberg, to spread joy and extend a helping hand to the incredible children under the home’s care. The St. George’s Home for Girls is a registered Child and Youth Care Centre. For the past 162 years, it has been a place where girls find love, safety, and support as they grow. It is currently the only residential care facility in the Wynberg District which provides for girls between the ages of 3 and 18 who are abused, abandoned, neglected and orphaned. In order to nurture the children, the home strives to provide an environment that closely resembles a warm, loving and caring family home.
On Mandela Day 2024, OUPSA staff came together in a spirit of unity and compassion to give back to the community by assisting to create party packs containing snacks, stationary kits, hand care kits, a story book and a colouring book. These party packs, along with cupcakes, were gifted to the home. They further assisted with cleaning the indoor premises, specifically vacuuming the rooms that had been damaged due to flooding. Additionally, staff donated preloved clothing and perishable food items and Oxford University Press donated a new washing machine to replace the broken one at the home.
Bonita Roodt, the secretary at St. George’s Home, expressed her gratitude to OUPSA for their generous contributions to the children’s home. She specifically highlighted her appreciation for the donation of the much-needed washing machine and the additional assistance provided for food and cleaning the rooms that had been damaged due to flooding.
Karen Simpson, the Managing Director of OUPSA, expressed her pride in the organisation’s ongoing celebration of Mandela Day. By answering Madiba’s call to create a positive impact in our community, we humbly and gratefully assisted the dedicated staff and children at St. Georges Home for Girls. Karen also extended her gratitude to OUPSA’s caring staff for their continued generosity with their time and personal donations.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
by Jarita Raga, Marketing Content Specialist, Oxford University Press Southern Africa
