Let us reach out to the children

Monday, July 17, 2017

“Let us reach out to the children. Let us do whatever we can to support their fight to rise above their pain and suffering.

“It always gives me great pleasure to be surrounded by the beautiful children of our land. Whenever I am with energetic young people such as yourselves I feel like a recharged battery, confident that our country can look forward to great things. You are the future of this country – you are the people who will lead us into the next century (23 April 1997),” said the late former President Nelson Mandela.

On Tuesday, 18 July, on International Mandela Day, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will reach out to the children of South Africa by officially handing over the Ramadimetja Sophia Mogotlane Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre to the Mookgophong community in Limpopo.

The ECD came into being as a result of a call by Deputy President Ramaphosa on World TB Day for the creation of Early Childhood Development facilities in areas with a high TB burden, with a particular focus on children under the age of five.

Cipla South Africa, a pharmaceutical company that manufactures world class generic medicines at affordable prices, answered Deputy President Ramaphosa’s call by establishing the centre.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa will on behalf of Cipla officially handover the centre.

“The facility will afford children an opportunity to develop through play and other creative activities such as age-appropriate computer skills.
 
“The facility will also improve the health and wellbeing of children through access to adequate nutrition and health services. This will ensure that children meet the normative developmental milestone of being able to read, write and count when they start schooling,” the Presidency said.

The handover ceremony coincides with the world wide Nelson Mandela Day celebrations, which are observed annually, since its declaration in 2009 by United Nations. The day is marked by 67 minutes of selfless good deeds to the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the Premier of Limpopo Province Stanley Mathabatha and Members of the Provincial Executive including MEC for Health Phophi Ramathuba, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, Cipla South Africa CEO Paul Miller, local Mayors, traditional leaders, and other dignitaries.

Act against poverty

“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings,” said the late former President Nelson Mandela.

On this note, Brand South Africa has called on all South Africans to play their part and act against poverty and unite to make a change in society on International Mandela Day.

Brand SA and Deputy Minister of Communications, Tandi Mahambehlala, will commemorate the day at the New Jerusalem Children’s Home in Midrand.

They will be accompanied by the SA Men’s Hockey Team - who are competing in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals currently underway in Johannesburg.

“The world remains beset by so much suffering, poverty and deprivation. It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all’ -- this famous call to action by former President Nelson Mandela is a continuation of a legacy, which calls upon all South Africans of all races and creeds to unite and act against poverty,” said the Deputy Minister Mahambehlala.

Inspire change

“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others,” said the late former President Nelson Mandela.

On Tuesday, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in partnership with the Capricorn District and Polokwane Municipalities, Limpopo Provincial Government and Samsung Mobile SA will commemorate Mandela Day with stakeholders in Moletjie Thusong Service Centre, in Limpopo.

“The event seeks to inspire change through the launching of the E-waste Management project by Samsung at the Moletjie Thusong Service Centre, the project will provide e-waste skills to the youth of Moletjie,” said GCIS.

The event will further showcase value added projects such as gardening and handwork projects implemented at Bahlaloga gardening projects and Ikageng centre for the elderly.

The commemoration for the day will be held under the theme: “Take Action against Poverty and Gender-Based Violence, inspire change and make everyday a Mandela Day”. - SAnews.gov.za