Empowering Communities through Mandela Day Service Grants
Mandela International Day of Service has been officially recognized since July 18, 2009; however, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the custodian of his legacy, has advocated for “Making Every Day a Mandela Day” to encourage volunteerism throughout the year.
Mandela Day Service Grants support community service and volunteer projects where Fellowship Alumni design, implement, and actively engage in short-term volunteer-driven community campaigns that contribute to sustainable community development. Learn more about a few of this year’s projects below.
Transforming Classrooms for Inclusive Learning
2023 Fellowship Alumni Michael Showumni and Julius Ilori worked together to renovate a classroom to be more accommodating for students with disabilities. The two also trained fifteen teachers on lesson development and incorporating artificial intelligence to foster learning development.
Michael said, “The teachers were so excited as it was the first time such an intervention was held within the community. Every child can learn, and every teacher can teach the way a child can learn.”
Promoting Health for Women in Burundi
2022 Fellowship Alumna Tania Gahama is the founder of Uzima, a Burundian nonprofit that works in health promotion. Her Mandela Day Service Grant project aimed to help pregnant women combat maternal anemia by teaching a module on healthy nutrition. The module focused on educating pregnant women on the risks of maternal anemia, promoting the use of local iron-rich food, and raising awareness on the importance of fortified porridge for maternal and child health.
Through the training, Tania and Uzima created a partnership with another local nonprofit. Tania says, “Through this partnership, we are going to be able to share our expertise in health education to more women than before.” Looking to the future, Tania hopes to reach a community of 100 women in the coming months.
Transforming Education Through Technology
2022 Fellowship Alumna Upendo Mtataikocollaborated with U.S. organization Wildness Technology Alliance on a project to train secondary school teachers in computer skills and provide computers for a computer lab. Looking ahead, the teachers trained will be able to reach more than 400 students to increase computer skills in the community.
Upendo says, “The world has become a small village because of technology. Helping rural teachers and students learn technology is crucial.”
Building a Greener Future for Schools
2021 Fellowship Alumnae Jannie Ratsimba and Vony Randrianonenana from Madagascar distributed waste bins in public elementary schools and implemented hygiene awareness and recycling campaigns.
“Nelson Mandela said, ‘It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.’ This quote emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility in making positive changes.”
2021 Fellowship Alumna Jannie Ratsimba, Madagascar