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International Mandela Day

(Gelöschtes Mitglied)
(Gelöschtes Mitglied) schrieb am 19.07.2013

Dear friends,

Our third term started on monday and as it happens Thursday was International Mandela Day, Nelson Mandela's birthday. This is a day initiated by the United Nations a few years ago to remember Nelson Mandela and what he stands for. Everyone is called on to give 67 minutes of their time to offer a service to their community.
Most years this day falls in the school winter holidays but this year not. Both the Primary and High School children held an assembly at 8h in the morning to honor this icon who celebrated his 95th birthday yesterday. Unfortunately he has been in hospital for over a month now recovering from a recurring lung infection. The children sang Happy Birthday and the class 11 reminded their fellow students of Mandela's legacy. They carried some heavy stones to the hostel to mark the garden to be set up there. This act was meant to give the students only a small taste of the hard work that Mandela did in the stone quarry during his 18 year imprisonment on Robben Island.
Each primary school class then did their community service during the morning under the guidance of their teachers.
Grade 1 and 2 joined people from McGregor village who made lots of sandwiches to be distributed in the local squatter camps and the farm schools in the area. Grades 3, 4 and 5 donated food to elderly people living in the squatter camp. It is hard to imagine what life is like for people and children there. it is wintertime here which means it is cold and wet. There have been two thunderstorms with lots of rain this past week. People in the squatter camp only have some tin or cardboard walls and roofs to protect them from the elements. Earlier this week four shacks burned down which left these families with nothing.
Teaching our children compassion by contributing to International Mandela Day is just one of the many opportunities there are in our village and our country.
I have posted photographs and video's on the schools Facebook page if you would like to see the children in action.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/McGregor-Waldorfschool/265445240142308

With many thanks to all sponsors known and anonymous for their contribution to our school!

with gratitude
Katleen