Sandals Foundation mobilizes for Mandela Day
From Bahama Islandsinfo
NASSAU, Bahamas — The Sandals Foundation commemorated the globally-recognized Mandela Day yesterday by partnering with the College of the Bahamas (COB) and the Lyford Cay Foundation’s education enrichment programme, FOCUS, to plant a tree at the college in honour of Nelson Mandela.
The FOCUS students were shown a short documentary on the life and work of Nelson Mandela before helping to plant a desert rose in the gardens to the front of COB’s Keva M. Bethel building.
This year Nelson Mandela turned 95 and spent his birthday in hospital recovering from a month-long illness, according to international press.
The FOCUS students – some of whom already knew much about Mandela’s life – were eager to learn about the man known globally as a world hero and known to South Africans as the father of their nation. They asked questions and engaged in discussions about his life.
Every year on Mandela’s birthday, individuals and organisations across the world are asked to spend 67 minutes of their time helping people to recognize their own ability to have a positive effect on society. This is to commemorate the 67 years Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa and Anti-Apartheid activist, dedicated to the fight for human rights.
“Nelson Mandela is a remarkable man who dedicated his entire life to effecting positive change. His impact has been felt across the world as people associate him with justice and humanitarianism,” said Heidi Clarke, Sandals Foundation director of programmes. “Every year that we celebrate Mandela Day, we are ensuring that his legacy lives on for future generations to cherish.
This year, the Sandals Foundation educated more than 300 children about the life and work of former South African President Nelson Mandela on July 18.
The Sandals Foundation, in partnership with the South African High Commission in Jamaica, is carried out its mission with children and children’s homes in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Activities for Mandela Day included talks and discussions at the Edward Gartland Youth Centre (Turks and Caicos); College of the Bahamas with the Forward and Onward to College Upward to Success (FOCUS) group (The Bahamas); Lights on Day Camp (Antigua); Saint Lucia Crisis Centre (Saint Lucia); Clifton Boys Home (Whitehouse, Jamaica); West Haven Children’s Home (Negril, Jamaica), the S.O.S. Children’s Home (Montego Bay, Jamaica), and in the Huddersfield Community (Ocho Rios, Jamaica).
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