67 minutes

What can you do in 67 minutes?

Read a magazine, have a coffee at your local, or do something good?

Down here in Mzansi, we try for the latter, during July.  

On his 94th

On July 18, old-president Nelson Mandela turned 94 and for the past couple of years, South Africans celebrated the day, Mandela Day,  by using 67 minutes to serve your community/a charity, in any way you want (one minute for every year he was politically active)*. It has now also been declared International Nelson Mandela Day by the United Nations.

Many people volunteer at schools, old-age homes, on community projects, donating things, helping, fixing, feeding.  At 08h00, school kids across the country sang "Happy Birthday, Madiba".  A businessman in Centurion planted 94 trees along a freeway. Our local newspaper volunteered at the inner city primary school I attended with heavy-weight donors and fixed the buildings, painted, distributed food parcels, arranged a party for the kids. "Bikers for Mandela Day" served again, planting a tree and working at the school in his hometown of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

Scores of people gathered beforehand on Sandton Square to record a birthday song:

Looking quickly, I could recognize singers Loyiso Bala, Lloyd Cele, Danny K, Kurt Darren, the guys from Prime Circle, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Bongani, PJ Powers, sportsmen Bryan Habana, Kobus Wiese, Ashwin Willemse, I'm sure Baby Jake Matlala (and quite a few others that I know I should know ;-)

I finished up a beanie and gave it to the homeless man living underneath a tree just three street corners away:

Every morning I drive past and see his pile of blankets underneath the tree. Now that it's colder, he is usually still sleeping.  He came out from hiding and took it when I spoke to him. I presume he works or try to find employment during the day, or otherwise beg; I don't know. I don't offer him employment, because we already support two other families that way. With our level of and fear for crime, I also don't offer him shelter.