The spirit of ubuntu has come to the fore during Mandela Month, with many South Africans contributing to the Futurelife initiative to make a tangible difference in the lives of our nation’s children.
During July, Futurelife appealed to the public and corporates for donations to help it reach more children in need with highly nutritious meals. Working with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, all funds raised are being used to deliver on the collective goal to supply 5 million nutritious meals through various, sustainable initiatives. In addition, the partners are working to build an Early Childhood Development Centre to give more children access to pre-school education.
“Futurelife has been supporting nutrition for many years, especially in young children at a pre-school level. We believe this is the foundation for health, hope, happiness, and nation-building,” says Mark Bunn, MD of Futurelife. “This is the driving force behind our vision to reach 5 million children in need, a message that touched the hearts of many South Africans during Mandela Month.”
While the campaign may have launched in July, Mark explains that it is just the start of a much broader initiative to fight hunger among pre-school children.
“Our Mandela Month campaign has brought us closer to our goal and it has shown us just how many companies and individuals share our values and vision for South Africa’s future,” Mark adds. “Building awareness about the issues our nation is facing is just as important as raising funds and through our partners, we have made substantial progress in achieving this.”
The companies that contributed to delivering the success of the Futurelife Mandela Month campaign and to whom a debt of gratitude is owed include:
- East Coast Radio – Kwa-Zulu Natal radio partner
- Smile FM – Western Cape radio partner
- Jacaranda FM – Gauteng radio partner
- Independent media – Print media partner
- Bizmag.co.za – Online media partner
- Relativ Media – Dynamic out of home partner
- New Wave – outdoor media partner
Mark has also paid special tribute to the company’s partners, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and the national NGO, HOPE worldwide SA who are collaborating with Futurelife to address hunger and malnutrition amongst vulnerable children. All funding received during Mandela Month will go to the Foundation to support their Early Childhood Development Programme.
Through this ongoing relationship, we will be able to reach children who will benefit from our smart nutrition through sustainable programmes, along with the assistance of HOPE worldwide SA. HOPE worldwide SA is critical to the success of our programme as they are responsible for the selection of Early Childhood Development centres and manage, distribute, and audit the allocation of meals around the country. In this way, we can track the progress and impact of these long-term sustainable programmes.
Sello Hatang, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, believes the contribution of the Futurelife campaign is essential in addressing early child malnutrition and applauds the company for its work.
“Our ongoing partnership with Futurelife honours the legacy of Nelson Mandela as we strive to bring hope and build a better future for our nation.”
Mark says that while the Futurelife Mandela Month campaign would not have been possible without the companies and individuals who devoted their time and resources, the true heroes are the members of the public who contributed toward the massive goal despite the challenging economic climate we find ourselves in. He promises that this is only the start and Futurelife will not give up the fight to make a difference in the lives of children in need.
“Even though Mandela Month may be ending, the spirit of Nelson Mandela’s work and this campaign will live on. We will not rest until we achieve our vision of ensuring that no child goes hungry in South Africa,” Mark concludes.
