The Nahana Foundation supports children

35 tons of food, essential household items, sanitisers and masks – equivalent to 1 800 care parcels – were delivered to more than 3 800 orphaned and vulnerable children and their caregivers in Ga-Dikgale to coincide with #MandelaDay2020.

Spearheading the distribution was the Nahana Foundation and Aluwani, which itself supports the community throughout the year.

Critically, it has ensured that almost 4 000 children will have food on the table for the next two months. This has given the 150 000 community members of Ga-Dikgale peace of mind, and allows them to focus on the immense challenges that they are facing as a rural and underprivileged community.

Primary sponsor, Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation, and others who opened their hearts, wallets and stockrooms

Feed SA for 500 food & toiletry hampers, toilet paper and sanitisers; Afrika Tikkun; Avi Lefkowitz; Y-Mad for contributing funds towards the purchase of 1300 food parcels; Kerri Marks and Oshee for 4200 bottles of vitamin water; Shout4Masks and Hikvision for surgical masks; Johannesburg Mini Council for Easter eggs, Twincare staff for toys and clothes; Telesure Investment Holdings for 30 000 cloth masks (5000 as part of Saturday’s drive and 25 000 that will go to all the schools in the area in August); and Makro Woodmead for packing the Y-Mad hampers and helping to load the huge delivery truck, free of charge.

Aluwani, formerly The Lonely Road Foundation, was founded by Group Managing Director of FCB and Hellocomputer Joburg Group, Thabang Skwambane, in 2007. What began with a small group of 63 orphaned and vulnerable children burgeoned over the years to almost 4 000 children cared for by 168 caregivers at 20 drop-in centres and early childhood development centres. These caregivers are the real ‘champions’ as Thabang calls them, and ensure Aluwani and all its partners and stakeholders remain relevant in the community.

“The generosity shown by the contributors to this year’s ‘Aluwani Mandela Day Care Drive’ was overwhelming,” said Skwambane. “So many people just jumped in and gave everything to make it happen. We are buoyed and excited to keep doing this work because of the kind of solidarity and active citizenry that so many people have shown during this difficult time.

“It was such a moment for our kids to know they’d be fed for at least the next two more months now. I can’t thank Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation enough for making this happen and rallying all the other sponsors.

“Thanks, too, to Telesure Investment Holdings which responded with an incredible donation of 30 000 masks to Aluwani’s request, helping us to ensure everyone in the community can protect themselves during this pandemic. They, as are all the sponsors who made ‘Aluwani Mandela Day Care Drive’ so successful, are True South African Heroes.”

The Nahana Foundation, which is a registered non-profit company, utilises the skills and reach of FCB and Hellocomputer Joburg Group, as members of the Nahana Communications Group, to provide full-service integrated advertising and digital communications to the non-profit community.