Libraries in Cape Town Celebrate Mandela Day with Community Service Initiatives

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Libraries in the City of Cape Town are commemorating Mandela Day by organizing community-focused activities. These events aim to unite people and instill a sense of service and compassion in their communities.

The Significance of Mandela Day

Mandela Day is celebrated annually on July 18 to honor the birthday of Nelson Mandela, the former South African President and global icon. The United Nations designated this date as “Nelson Mandela International Day” in 2010 to inspire people worldwide to dedicate 67 minutes of their time to supporting a charity or service in their communities.

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Librarians at the Forefront of Community Initiatives

Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, acknowledges the librarians’ dedication to nation-building every day. She encourages patrons to support these events and the librarians leading these community initiatives.

Community-Focused Activities

The libraries have organized a diverse range of activities catering to people of all ages. Some of the events taking place include:

  • Teen knitting session at Scottsdene Library
  • Storytelling session with libraries’ mascot LiBee, followed by arts and crafts at Lotus River Library
  • Soup kitchen and talk at the Kensington Home of the Aged, hosted by Kensington Library
  • Drug abuse awareness talk at Macassar Library
  • Community parking lot clean-up at the multi-purpose center, organized by Fisantekraal Library
  • Soup kitchen at the Masakhane Old Age Home, with storytelling and arts and crafts activities for children at Philippi East
  • Community storytelling and arts session, accompanied by soup and bread, at Huguenot Square
  • Soup kitchen at the Freedom Farm informal settlement, coordinated by Belhar Library
  • Vegetable garden planting at Scottsdene Library
  • Soup and sandwich handouts at Otter Library
  • Beach clean-up led by Gordon’s Bay Library
  • Breakfast and coffee giveaways at Observatory Library
  • 67-minute visit with seniors of Home Morea, along with a soup kitchen at Lotus River Library
  • Collaboration between Brackenfell Library and Brackenfell Clinic to engage with mothers and young children visiting the clinic
  • “Golden Oldie” movie day at Durbanville Library

Honoring Mandela’s Legacy

These community service initiatives exemplify the essence of Mandela Day and the spirit of unity, compassion, and community service. Libraries across Cape Town are coming together to celebrate Mandela’s legacy and offer an ideal platform for individuals to participate in positive initiatives.

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Tumi Makgale is a Cape Town-based journalist whose crisp reportage on the city’s booming green-tech scene is regularly featured in the Mail & Guardian and Daily Maverick. Born and raised in Gugulethu, she still spends Saturdays bargaining for snoek at the harbour with her gogo, a ritual that keeps her rooted in the rhythms of the Cape while she tracks the continent’s next clean-energy breakthroughs.

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