Mandela Day is on the 18th July, which is next Saturday and generally around this time of year I think about what we can do as a family for Mandela Day and our 67 minutes – I know it’s bad that I only think about it this time of year, I really should make more of a conscious effort to do more throughout the year. But you know… life happens and… well I could come up with a thousand excuses to be honest.
Anyway, this year I have been trying to put some extra thought into what we are going to do as a family. I would love to say help out at a soup kitchen but to be honest, Ladybug is just too little to understand helping out other people for 67 minutes. So I’ve been looking for something a little more “age appropriate” to do with her. Then last night, I got my answer – in two forms.
The first being from Ladybug herself. I have put out some clothes that don’t fit her anymore. They are sitting on the chair wait to find a new home. Every now and then she asks me to put on her Winnie the Pooh PJs but I tell her they too small. (Previously her small clothes we passed down to her bestie Oosie, but with Oosie having gone back to Zimbabwe we don’t have that flow anymore). Last night she picks up the PJs and tell me “Mommy they too small neh? They must go to the other children Mommy. The other children that don’t have Pajamas. You must take them to the other children and I will come with you”. My heart beamed with pride (after I got over the neh cringe factor that has crept into our vocabulary). She got it. In her mind, she understands that there are children that don’t have things, she understands that she has things and she can help the other children.
My Ladybug has a giving nature, and I love that about her, its makes me proud to be her Mom. I also think that it is vitally important that she comes with me when we give her clothes to the other children because she decided this on her own and she told me that she will come with me. I feel that although this won’t be 67 minutes worth of our time on the 18th July, it is age appropriate for Ladybug, it is also driven by her and it’s what she wants to do with her clothes. We will also be going through her toys this weekend and adding to the stuff that will go to the other children who don’t have.
The second answer I got was while I was Facebooking, I saw a post about the Pirates Sports Club Mandela Day Initiative. They are collecting “feel good” bags for Mandela Day, for the girls of The Guild Cottage. (Guild Cottage was started in 1907 as a home for orphans and children in distress. Since that time it has a long record of looking after children in need, mainly by supplying long-term residential care). How perfect is that post?!? Ladybug can give her clothes and toys to the other children and I can do a “feel good” bag – 1 from Ladybug and 1 from myself. (The bags need to be dropped off at Pirates Sports Club (in Greenside) anytime before next week Friday. They will be dropping the “Feel Good “ bags off on Saturday.)
The “Fell Good” bag must include the following:
- Body Lotion
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Socks
- Panties (any size)
- Coloured Pencils/Note/Colouring Book/Stickers
- A note of encouragement to a young girl
- Packaging for your feel good bag in a material bag (from Pick n Pay/Wooworths/Checkers etc)
- Feel Good Bags to be kept under R150 per bag
I think this is an awesome initiative and we will be shopping for our “Feel Good” Bags this weekend. I also think this could potentially turn into a long term support from Ladybug and I. I will be getting hold of the The Guild Cottage after Mandela Day to find out how we can get involved on a more permanent basis.
What are you doing for Mandela Day and are you getting your kids involved?
Life with a Ladybug 
Great idea Cassie. I did a baby in a box thing (a bit similar to the grace factory but it’s all baby stuff and you also give an encouraging note).