Making every day a Mandela Day!

Cape Town

Age-in-Action staff were privileged to join forces with 1 000 Old Mutual staff

members who used their 67 minutes to pack care packs for Age-in-Action

and Matla a Bana.

Taking delivery of the care packs was very humbling as we remembered

how the staff participated in the true spirit and ethos of what Mandela Day is

all about. Thus far packs were distributed to older persons in Agter-Paarl

(farming community), Gugulethu, Old Crossroads, Ruyterwacht, Saldanha

Bay, Montagu, Clanwilliam and Lamberts Bay.

Eastern Cape

Vulnerable older persons in KwaNobuhle, Uitenhage, were the beneficiaries

of the outreach by our Eastern Cape and Makhukhanye staff on Mandela

Day. The staff spent quality time with them and funding by Old Mutual

enabled Age-in-Action to hand out food parcels and blankets which was

greatly appreciated.

84 year old Mrs Kate Dunjwa’s house was destroyed in a fire and she was left

with only the clothes on her back. She has since had two strokes and now

lives with her daughter. She applied to local government for assistance to

rebuild her house, but was unsuccessful. She has decided to rebuild her

house using her pension money. She cried when staff handed her the food

parcel and blanket.

Mrs Francis Williams of Blikkiesdorp, Uitenhage, is 6 days older than Tata

Mandela; she turned 95 years on 12 July! She also received a food parcel and

a blanket. 94 year old Mrs Ntlali of Mabandla Road, KwaNobuhle was doing

her washing at the time of the visit! When presented with her new blanket,

she wiped away tears of joy, saying “Mandithini Thiza Wami... Oh Ngosi

Yami...” (What do I do/say... Oh My Lord...)

Mrs Monica Fatman of Matanzima Street in KwaNobuhle was involved in an

accident years ago leaving her unable to walk and she has since become

frail. When presented with her gifts, she started clapping hands and singing

happy birthday to Tata Mandela. With her new blanket on the bed she said:

“I don’t know what I can do or say now”, with tears of happiness in her eyes.

Free State

Age-in-Action staff, Department of Health, Old Mutual staff and Siyamthanda

Club members spent their 67 minutes at Thari-Ya Tshepe Crèche, Rocklands,

Bloemfontein.

The crèche provides care services to 101 children. The group divided into

the four classes and interacted with the children. The Department of Health

focused on eye care and screened all the pre-schoolers. Five of the little

ones were referred for eye testing and one will be assessed by an occupational therapist.

Gauteng Old Mutual, Gauteng packed 200 care packs which contained toiletries

as a donation to Age-in-Action in the province. It was distributed to

older persons at day care centres.

KwaZulu-Natal

Age-in-Action staff and partners from Msunduzi Museum visited the

home of a gogo in Sweetwater, Umsunduzi Municipality in

Pietermartizburg. She lives alone with an 11 year old child. She had a

mild stroke and is unable to do even the most basic chores. Staff and

volunteers cleaned the house including the cupboards. They painted

the outside of the house and the kitchen as well. Donations from Old

Mutual and Msunduzi Museum enabled the staff to buy gogo a new

three-quarter mattress, provide groceries and paint as well as new

curtains for the lounge, bedroom and kitchen. The gogo expressed

her appreciation for all that was done for her.

Also in Sweetwaters Location, staff visited gogo Ntuli where they

spring-cleaned and ironed! They fitted vinyl flooring in her kitchen.

She expressed her gratitude and said that she had problems to clean

the floor and resorted to putting newspaper on it to “make it look

good”; she now only has to wipe it!

Gogo Khuzwayo of Mzungo location in Ndwedwe was one of the

beneficiaries of the donation of clothing and groceries from the staff of

Old Mutual in Westville. On 22 July staff visited her home, where she

lives with her two grandchildren aged 4 and 7 years. Staff donated a

paraffin stove and vinyl to cover the floors. The balance of the donation

of clothing was handed to Zibambeleni Old Age Home.

On 23 July, the staff painted three rooms at St Antonine’s Old Age

Home at EMhakasi Mission, Wasbank.

Limpopo

Are Itsosheng Dikolobe at Ga Mmamabolo, Polokwane was the focal

point on Mandela Day. Volunteers from Old Mutual, Office of the

Premier, Nedbank, the United Nations Development Programme

(doctors and staff), Turf FM, home based caregivers, older persons and

Age-in-Action painted and cleaned the centre.

The doctors from the United Nations Development programme did free

medical check-ups and gave advice on healthy lifestyles. Turf FM

broadcasted the event live on radio.

Mpumalanga

Age-in-Action staff were joined by 6 Old Mutual staff members from

the district at Masisizane, Daggakraal to paint the entire hall although

they were only planning to paint one section! They also handed out

food parcels to the members of the centre.

Northern Cape

With the slogan “take action, inspire change, make every day a Mandela Day”, as part of the

day’s activities, Age-in-Action staff in the Sub-Siyanda District and 15 volunteers [youth]

painted the Kopanang Bagodi Service Centre in Boichoko. They all

described the day as a huge success and indicated that it felt good to give

of their time to the benefit of vulnerable older persons in the community!

The office in Francis Baard spent their 67 minutes handing out soup and

bread to about 150 older persons in the Homevale community, thanks to

the assistance from Old Mutual. They also distributed second hand

clothing using. The Christian Family Church sponsored the tent which

served as the venue for event.

In Calvinia, Age-in-Action’s 13 homebased caregivers prepared soup and

distributed it street-by-street in Blikkiesdorp. A register was kept of the

number of households served as well as the number of family members

who received soup. 107 families were reached and 552 people received a

meal that day, including frail older persons. Families in crisis were

brought to the attention of Age-in-Action’s social worker.

The plight of an unemployed single mother and her two child-ren of

Ganspan in the Northern Cape touched the hearts of Age-in-Action home

based care givers.

Emily Pholoholo’s shack burned down and she had nowhere to go and no

means to support her children. With the assistance of the Department of

Education, the home based care givers were able to provide the family

with food parcels and clothing.

The home based care givers were asked to identify an additional 5

households who did not have income and needed help. Food and clothing

were distributed to them as well!

North West

A sponsorship by Old Mutual enabled Age-in-Action to purchase groceries

for the Bokamaoso Old Age Home situated in Sandfontein Village in the

Moses Kotane Local Municipality, Bojanala District. Sun City donated

towels, sheets and slippers to all the residents. The home does not get a

government subsidy and operates purely on the government grants

contributed by the residents. Age-in-Action staff did laundry, spring-

cleaning and chores at the home. Stakeholders involved were the

Departments of Sports, Arts & Culture as well as PROREC.

In Hlope, Old Mutual enabled the purchase of basic essentials for three

marginalised families to have their homes cleaned by Age-in-Action staff

and students from the University of North West.

Amongst those treated on the day was 76 year old Mrs Keereditse

Letshaba, 80 year old Mrs Nomsa Mogai, 62 year old Mrs Mmeiki

Ngwenya and Mr Simon Pogiso Molokela. They experienced extreme

poverty, health issues and problems with extended families, especially

grandchildren. They appreciated the grooming, food hampers, spring

cleaning and the quality time staff spent with them.

Thebe ya Tlhajwa Old Age Home in Koffiekraal has 13 older persons living

at the facility. Age-in-Action staff pampered the older persons whilst other

stakeholders [Old Mutual, Consensus, Public Protector’s Office,

Metropolitan, DSDWCPD, Department of Health, First National Bank,

Moses Kotane Local Municipality and the local social club] cleaned and

painted the home ♣