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Mandela Day activities support children
In celebration of Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday on 18 July 2012, various organisations are contributing time and resources in the period running up to Mandela Day and its activities. Eastgate Shopping Centre is urging shoppers to buy educational toys and RamsayMedia staff is putting together comfort bags for Matla a Bana: A Voice against Child Abuse, to be given to boys who have been raped.
Toys for Cotlands
Shoppers can purchase selected toys at discounted rates at stores within Eastgate Shopping Centre and deposit them in one of the conveniently located donation bins in the shopping centre. The toys will be handed over to Cotlands on Madiba Day, 18 July.
It has one of two types of toy libraries, one is the "come and play" libraries, which gives children access to an array of toys while being supervised by a Cotlands Toy Librarian, the other is the "lend and play" libraries, where community members are able to borrow toys and bring them back. The right toys provide children with tools that will equip them for their academic years ahead. They help them develop social skills, problem-solving abilities and assist with coordination.
Supporting child victims
The NGO, Matla a Bana, has asked the media house to bag facecloths, toothpaste and brushes, pencils and notebooks, juice, biscuits, underwear, balls and teddy bears, some which provide comfort to the young recipients, as they go through the bewildering process of reporting the rape.
"The requests that we are getting from the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units show that the rape of young boys is becoming more of a problem every year," commented Monique Strydom, national manager of Matla a Bana. "In one area the number is as high as 40%. What is even more shocking is that the average age of the perpetrator is coming down - at one of the units it is 12 years old, which is frightening."
It is the third year RamsayMedia has adopted the NGO for its Mandela Day initiative. The staff raised almost R4 000, an amount matched by the company, to buy the items for the comfort packs. The underwear was once again donated by Easywear, which has supported the initiative for the past three years.
