CDC South Africa does their 67 minutes for Mandela Day

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela

The team from CDC South Africa that participated in the Mandela Day clean-up at the Eqinisweni Secondary School on Friday, 18 July, 2014.
Photos from Nelson Mandela International Day

On Friday, July 18, 2014 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) South Africa joined hands with other United States Government Agencies in South Africa, as well as the rest of the South African nation, to honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy by giving 67 minutes of their time to make a difference to the life of someone else – in this case the students of Eqinisweni Secondary School in Ivory Park, Tembisa, Gauteng.

The theme of this year’s Mandela Day of Service was “clean-up.” In keeping with the theme and honoring Madiba’s passion for education, the U.S. Mission volunteers – including CDC South Africa volunteers – went to a secondary school in Ivory Park for a beautification project, during which they built desks, assisted in the school library, and painted classrooms. In total the team was able to paint 15 classrooms, build and donate approximately 97 desks, as well as clean and organize the school’s library.

Nelson Mandela International Day – inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices – was launched in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July, 2009 via an unanimous decision of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. According to the official Mandela Day website, it is more than a celebration of Madiba’s life and legacy – “it is a global movement to honor his life’s work and act to change the world for the better.”