BetterBond support for Mandela Day

This year is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Nelson Mandela International Day, the global call to action that celebrates the idea that every individual has the ability - and the responsibility - to change the world for the better.

Following requests by 46664 Concerts and the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF), the international day was officially declared by the United Nations in 2009 in honour of former SA president Nelson Mandela, and is celebrated every year on 18 July, which was his birthday.*

To mark the day, people all over the world are encouraged to spend at least 67 minutes doing good in remembrance of the 67 years he spent fighting for social justice. However, they are also urged not to limit their actions to this one interval but to try to do something every day towards eradicating global poverty and making a positive difference in their own communities.

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." - Nelson Mandela

BetterBond, South Africa's leading bond originator, has offices around the country that celebrate Mandela Day every year by making donations, running charity drives, holding fund-raisers and working to improve the lives of underprivileged members of their communities - and this year will be no different.

In fact, some have already started work on their Mandela Day campaigns and some plan to use the day to magnify community work that they already do all year round.

"We actually regard the whole of July as Mandela Month," says Audrey Pretorius, BetterBond's regional manager for the Free State and Northern Cape. "And we have already kicked off our annual campaign with a successful blood donation drive held in Bloemfontein on 5 July."

Meanwhile regional manager for KZN Riaan du Toit says staff of the BetterBond office in Durban will be spending the day with the residents of John Dunn House, a residential home for senior citizens who have to live on State old-age grants.

"We support this home year-round with toiletries for those residents celebrating their birthdays each month and other necessities, but on Mandela Day we like to supply some special treats and give of our time to make the occasion more memorable."

*For more information about Mandela Day, the global benefits of working to reduce poverty and the Nelson Mandela Fund's plans for the next 10 years (the next chapter), see https://www.mandeladay.com/