Lifestyle/Community
Zoo Lake outing on Mandela Day
The spirit of Nelson Mandela, was present and participant in full force this past Mandela Day, as the Union of Jewish Women undertook four projects for the disadvantaged of the Johannesburg community.
DIANE LEVINE
PHOTOGRAPH SUPPLIED
Pictured : Lydia Makhoba, supervisor of the aftercare centre; Thamela Ndlovu; Mbali Macaleni; and Dineo Rampo.
The children from Alexandra who attend the UJW’s aftercare centre, were given a special treat on Mandela Day. They went on an outing to the Zoo Lake where they played games with our teenage volunteers. Moyo’s restaurant donated a lunch and the children had a wonderful fun-filled morning.
In May the UJW launched its “No child should go without shoes” campaign, aiming to raise enough funding to purchase 500 pairs of shoes. The donations came flooding in, enough for the UJW to supply 1 000 children with new shoes.
The UJW was partnered in this project with Dis-Chem and Warm the World, who supplied blankets for the children.
Then, together with the youth group Habonim Dror, the UJW took advantage of the school holidays to repaint Bertrams Primary School, chosen because so many Jewish parents and even grandparents were pupils years ago in Judith’s Paarl.
In addition to the painting, the playground had been given a new finish with the addition of benches and new play equipment.
Working with and at the Hillbrow Clinic has been one of the UJW’s longest-running projects – providing food for the thousands of patients who visit monthly, and clothing and other goodies to various of the wards.
On Mandela Day the UJW focused on the HIV/Aids Clinic which serves the needs of both adults and children; and those who were there for treatment were given cakes, sweets and drinks to bring a little sunshine into their lives.