MasterDrive's Mandela Day initiatives
Johannesburg tackles hunger during 67 minutes
Each year the team commits to giving 67 minutes of our time to those in need on Mandela Day which has always been an important initiative at MasterDrive. This year, the team tackled one of the most pressing issues in South Africa currently: hunger.
The team made sandwiches for those on the street in need. The managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “With just less than 300 sandwiches a few team members set out with the help of Fox Security to distribute the food. By the halfway point, all the sandwiches were finished.
“We chose to address hunger as it is one of the biggest challenges facing South Africa following lockdown. It was an extremely sobering experience. The sheer quantity of people in need, just in our community, was overwhelming. The levels of hunger and desperation even exceeded our own expectations of the situation.
Though it was such a small gesture, all were extremely grateful. “This affected all involved. It helps you understand that even though you are facing challenges right now, there are others struggling to even access basic needs. It helped each team member appreciate what they have even more.”
In addition to the bleak economic future that we face as a country, the situation right now is very sad. “You know people are suffering and you have seen people queueing for food in the news but seeing it right in front of you, is something else entirely,” says Herbert.
Durban contributes to children
The regional offices contributed as well. Operation Bobbi Bear in Amazimtoti is a human rights organisation committed and dedicated to working with and assisting sexually abused children. Those in their care have been abused particularly throughout lockdown. “They are in dire need of support to provide for the children.
“With the current job loss, Bobbi Bear is struggling as they lose many of their monthly donations. Basics such as food, soap and toothpaste need to stretch even further than before, which is becoming impossible. These vulnerable members of society are often forgotten about and we want to make their lives a little more bearable in the coming days,” says Herbert.
Cape Town spreads road safety
The Cape Town branch decided to do something different, focusing on road safety. “Road crashes and fatalities remain a concern. We want to feed minds with road safety education and awareness. In conjunction with the non-profit Safer Roads 4 All (SR4A), we used motorsport as a platform to share the message via live stream.
“We used ‘cool cars’ such as drifting, sound and racing cars to attract attention. The presentations constantly reminded viewers about road safety including following distances, roadworthiness vehicles and many other topics. With the popularity of illegal street racing we illustrated that we too enjoy those pursuits but within the safety of a track with safety marshals and all facilities.”
It is for this reason, we encourage everyone, whether as part of a company initiative or in their own personal capacity, to continue doing what we can to assist our fellow South Africans. “The actions of one person can make the life of many people much better,” says Herbert.
