This year, the NPO Ladles of Love is gearing up to make volunteering for Nelson Mandela Day as accessible and feasible as possible – for individuals, corporates, schools, teams, families and communities -on Thursday 18 July.  

With a few clicks, people can book where they would like to offer their support, how and with whom – ensuring all efforts and funds raised go toward providing nutrition for children in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase, within impoverished communities and giving access to the nutrition and amenities they need to grow. 

Each ticket sold ensures 40 healthy meals for small children in need and volunteers can spend 67 minutes of their time making, creating, crafting or packing items to help these children grow. Volunteers choose their time slot and activity and have fun doing good, for good. Some of the activities include making sandwiches, filling Buckets of Hope; Packing nutrition boxes; Crafting toys; Collating books/ posters or Making mini edible garden kits.

The organisation’s ambitious goal for 18 July is to raise R5 million for food to nourish over 5,500 children within the Early Childhood Development (ECD) phase in impoverished communities. By purchasing a ticket, participants commit to spending 67 minutes in active service making items to help nurture and grow little ones at pre-school centres and shelters.

While doing so, volunteers will participate in breaking another world record on July 18 as they strive to achieve “The largest number of volunteers paying to spend 67 minutes on Mandela Day in service to grow children in need.”

The South African Child Gauge, a 2020 study on nutrition and food security, describes malnutrition in children as “slow violence.” Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, highlights the devastating impact of malnutrition on children’s survival, cognitive development, and overall well-being

Individuals, corporate companies, and young students not only in South Africa, but worldwide, are urged to become social change-makers by securing tickets now for International Mandela Day on 18 July. To book, simply visit webtickets.co.za/ladlesoflove and select ticket options for time slots at flagship events – to be held at V&A Waterfront’s Lookout venue in Cape Town and Constitution Hill in Johannesburg – or select the  ‘Create your own event’ – something you can do anywhere in the world with volunteering activities ranging from sandwich making, to assembling buckets of dry foods, creating educational materials, crafting toys, packing nutrition boxes, and assembling edible garden kits.

To explain the impact of partaking in the Ladles of Love initiatives,  Leebashni Reddy CSI Manager of Estee Lauder says “Estee Lauder South Africa are proud to be spending our 67 minutes on Nelson Mandela Day 2024 with Ladles of Love. Employees around the country will take part in the planned activities at Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg and V&A Waterfront, Cape Town making a meaningful difference and giving back to our communities.”

While so many of us often want to help, we are never sure exactly how to go about it. Ladles of Love has already created the support and channels into impoverished communities, and people are able to jump on board and give their energy, time and love to making sure children in South Africa grow up strong, with the necessary nutrition to become the future minds and strength of our beautiful nation. When individual’s 67 minutes of time are harnessed collectively as groups come together, the impact is extraordinary – we don’t only change children’s lives, but ours too.

As a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO), Ladles of Love can issue Section 18A Tax certificates to all individuals and companies contributing to the campaign. 

For more information, visit LadlesofLove.org.za or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. To find out more about how to participate, visit ladlesoflove.org.za/mandela-day-2024/ or www.webtickets.co.za/ladlesoflove

For CSI funding and sponsorship opportunities contact: events@ladlesoflove.org.za

“We realise how profound President Nelson Mandela’s words were: ‘It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it, especially the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized.’ Never has Madiba’s message rung truer than now.

International Nelson Mandela Day on Thursday, July 18th, is a reminder to us all to act. Being a bystander is no longer an option.” Danny Diliberto, founder/CEO  Ladles of Love