Mitsubishi joins hands with motoring media to support charities this Mandela Day
On 18 July every year Mandela Day is celebrated, paying tribute to a great man who believed that good deeds – no matter how small – can make the world a better place for everyone. It was in this spirit that Mitsubishi Motors South Africa (MMSA), in partnership with South African motoring scribes, made donations to selected worthy causes on behalf of #FriendsofMitsubishi.
“Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying that what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. He believed that it is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead,” says Nic Campbell, general manager of MMSA. “This Mandela Day we took this message to heart and gave our friends in the media the opportunity to support their favourite charities.”
The initiative formed part of the recent launch activities surrounding the Eclipse Cross. Journalist were asked to nominate worthy causes they would like to support financially in celebration of Mandela Day. Once the charities were identified, they each received a donation of R6 700. The five organisations chosen were the NSPCA, The Salvation Army, Jakaranda Children’s Home, the Maletsatsi Foundation, and Gift of the Givers.
The NSPCA was founded in 1955 and operates on a national basis with a team of dedicated inspectors, who are specialists in their fields. Working to protect animals from neglect and abuse, the organisation has improved the lives of tens of thousands of animals through its passion, intervention, and commitment to bring about long-term positive change for farmed animals, wildlife, research animals, domestics and animals used in entertainment and sport,” says Nadine Ferreira, manager of the NSPCA’s finance unit.
The work of The Salvation Army in South Africa began in Cape Town in 1883. The organisation extended its reach to KwaZulu-Natal in 1885 and to Johannesburg a year later. Today, The Salvation Army is represented by nearly 250 churches in South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, the Island of St Helena, and Swaziland.
“The organisation has an outstanding reputation for its outreach to the poor and needy in South Africa,” explains Captain Velani Buthelezi. In modern times, this is expressed in initiatives to address social ills such as deprivation of food and water, lack of shelter, inadequate access to education and the exploitation of women and children.
Jakaranda Children’s Home, in Pretoria, has been providing a safe, nurturing environment to children, aged three to 18, since 1987. The children are mainly placed in the home due to neglect, abandonment, and physical or emotional abuse.
“Taking a holistic approach, we provide these children with therapy, medical care and an environment where they can feel safe and loved,” Karin Berriman says. “The objective is to equip the children with the necessary skills they will need to become responsible adults.”
After acting as a place of safety for one or two children at a time for many years, the Heins family realised that they could better serve the community and children by registering a non-profit organisation that could enlist the assistance of the general public for funding. Thus the Maletsatsi Foundation, based in Midrand, was born.
“We’re passionate about keeping families together and will do whatever we can to achieve this. When it’s not possible for a child to stay in their family, we strive to create a deep, connected extended family for each child, focusing on secure attachments and optimal individual development,” says Tiffini Heins.
At present, The Maletsatsi Foundation consists of three homes – Letśatśi House, Nomalanga House and Selmo House. Each has a house mother, who is legally responsible for the children, and six babies. These homes serve as an interim resting place for children as their cases are finalised.
The Gift of the Givers Foundation is the largest disaster response, non-governmental organisation of African origin on the African continent. It works to unite people, with a common vision, to make a real and telling difference by serving mankind for the greater good.
Assistance is provided unconditionally, assisting the needy, irrespective of human or animal, race, religion, colour, class, political affiliation or geographic location.
Since its inception in 1992, the organisation has been responsible for the delivery of life-saving goods and on-the-ground support for innumerable people, collectively valued at some R3.2 billion, in more than 43 countries across the globe, including South Africa.
To quote Gift of the Givers founder, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman: ‘’You feel the calling, you feel the need, you see the suffering of man and you want to do something.”
“As a responsible corporate citizen, this is a message that MMSA can identify with. Each of the chosen recipients truly represents the culture of giving and caring that lies at the heart of what Mandela Day is all about and we are proud to have been able to contribute to them being able to continue with the unselfish work they do,” concludes Campbell.
