By Oke Peter
July is widely celebrated as Mandela Month, as 18 July 2023 – Nelson Mandela International Day – would have marked the 105th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the founding patron of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The Foundation, in conjunction with RIDE4HOPE, marked the occasion by launching Mandela Month at Avianto in Muldersdrift, north of Johannesburg.
To mark the launch of Mandela Month, the Foundation and RIDE4HOPE planted a tree reaffirming their commitment to working with communities in alleviating poverty and inequality.
The Nelson Mandela Legacy RIDE4HOPE is a cycling event mandated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to honour Madiba’s legacy. The annual event has created a platform to spread Mandela’s message of hope far and wide as it cuts across two provinces: Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
At the launch RIDE4HOPE unveiled the official jersey for the September 2023 four-day ride, starting from Nelson Mandela’s house on Vilakazi Street in Soweto and ending at the site of his capture in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal.
During the ride, both riders and crew engage in community upliftment activities as a means of giving back to society. The proceeds from the jersey sales support the work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The Foundation used the day as an opportunity to raise awareness about its vision to mark Nelson Mandela International Day by uniting the world in taking decisive action against global climate change that leads to food insecurity.
With a global network spanning government, civil society, business and communities, the Nelson Mandela Foundation intends to reignite the global reach of Mandela Day by encouraging the planting of trees and the establishment of home-based and community food gardens. This network spans China, England, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Zambia, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, the Seychelles, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and many other countries.
To mark the launch of Mandela Month, the Foundation and RIDE4HOPE planted a tree reaffirming their commitment to working with communities in alleviating poverty and inequality.
