How Cambridge University Press & Assessment SA celebrated Mandela Day – 18 July 2023

Mandela Day is an annual celebration that takes place to pay respect to the legacy built by the human rights champion, uTata Nelson Mandela. Annually on 18 July, people are rallied to use just 67 minutes of their time to support their charity of choice or serve in their local community. The 67 minutes symbolises the 67 years of Mandela’s life spent fighting for human rights.?

For this year’s celebration, we worked with Ladles of Love, a charity organisation dedicated to helping people thrive through various humanitarian efforts. We showed up to help Ladles of Love achieve their goal of setting the world record for “the highest number of volunteers doing 67 minutes to make items that nourish, nurture and grow children.”??

We are pleased to announce that indeed, the record was set! We were part of the 6 003?people who came together in different parts of the country to give their 67 minutes to make 150 000 items that nourish, nurture and grow children.?We collated books, crafted toys, and sewed and decorated bean bags with love!?

Here’s what some of our colleagues had to say about their experiences on the day:???

“There was an incredibly encouraging amount of support from Cambridge for the programme organised by Ladles of Love… The time went by very quickly, but there was a lovely spirit of giving back in the entire venue. I wish I could’ve contributed more of my time.”??

“It was a fun and exciting day to be able to contribute and spend time making crafts on Mandela Day. The team was excited as it was a new skill for most of us. We were assigned to make decorative bean bags to be used in an early childhood and development classroom… The time spent wasn’t long enough…”?

“I was part of the sewing team. Even though some people had never been able to sew before, they seemed enthusiastic about this activity – showing great interest in learning for the benefit of the children for whom the toys were made.”??

“The best part was knowing that our efforts were going to bring joy to underprivileged children. The thought of those little faces lighting up when they received these handmade beanbags filled our hearts with joy and purpose.”?

All in all, our Mandela Day experience was a special one. Not only did we get to honour Nelson Mandela’s legacy and contribute towards impacting real change in children’s lives – we also bonded as colleagues and created an experience we are sure we will remember for a long time.?