Start a Preschool for 60 Children in South Africa

Celebrate Mandela Day with Us!

On July 18, the birthdate of Nelson Mandela, people in South Africa and around the world honor his legacy and his values through volunteering and community service. Mandela Day celebrates his believe that each individual has the ability and the responsibility to change the world for the better. Nelson Mandela International Day 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela. It is an occasion to reflect on his life and legacy and to follow his call for fighting poverty and promoting social justice for all. Global Giving is celebrating Mandela Day this year by having their annual bonus day on July 18.

Mandela was known for his love of children. In South Africa, Mandela is called the father of the nation not only for his role in liberating South Africans but also for the love and support he showed to its children. “Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people,” Mandela said.

This Wednesday you can celebrate Mandela by making a difference in the lives of young South African children living in extreme poverty -- donate to Siyabonga Early Childhood Education Centre at Global Giving. Siyabonga will receive matching funds of up to 50% on donations received.  The event begins at 9:00am EDT on July 18 and will last until matching funds run out (this often happens quickly, so please give as soon after 9:00 as you can).

Celebrating Youth Day at Siyabonga

As educators, we think it is important for our children to have an understanding of their world and know what is happening around them. South Africa celebrates Youth Day each year on June 16 to memorialize the Soweto Uprising where students peacefully demonstrating against a government mandate that they be instructed in Afrikaans were met by heavily armed police who fired tear gas and later live ammunition. In recognition of Youth Day, we created a curriculum for the first two weeks of June on Children’s Rights and Responsibilities. We discussed a number of the children’s rights recognized here in South Africa and internationally, including the right to a good education and the responsibility to study and respect teachers and the right to be loved and protected from harm and the responsibility to show love and caring to others. On June 19, we had an Awareness Day where we invited parents to come and witness their children doing activities demonstrating their understanding of their rights and responsibilities. The day was a great success and the parents were impressed with how well their children did.

Thank you again for your support. We couldn’t do what we do without you! And remember:

Donate to Siyabonga July 18 on the Global Giving website. If you give at 9:00am EDT or soon after, Global Giving will match your contribution up to 50%.