Sustainability Conversations ... Children of Africa Unite #MandelaMonth 2016

 Artist: Mbongeni Buthelezi

The 2016 Mandela Day will again be a worldwide commemoration and celebration of the life, philosophy and achievements of one of the biggest heroes of our time.

What Mandela Day Means

Mandela Day is based on the idea that if every individual dedicates a short amount of time to making the world a better place, there is immense potential for collective good to flourish. Mandela Day is a call to action for every individual, group, corporate, to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one step at a time, in response to areas of need within their communities and guided by means at their disposal
 
The Mzansi Spelling Bee is a group of passionate individuals who play their part in creating a better South Africa. They take Nelson Mandela's quote of "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" to heart.

Ntsako Mkhabela, the founder, is a strong believer in improving literacy in South Africa one word at a time; one child at a time. This initiative has grown from a single province spelling bee in 2012 with 200 spellers to being in 9 provinces with thousands of spellers in this, the fifth season of the Mzansi Spelling Bee. 

The Mzansi Spelling Bee is a growing movement to get South Africa’s children to fall in love with words. The love of words and education is the one gift that South Africa can offer our children. Through words we can raise confident children with the power to dream, create, break boundaries and explore the world. Get involved in the Spelling Bee here.

The Palace of Justice was the venue for the historic Rivonia Trial (1964) involving Nelson Mandela. In 2002 the entire interior of the building was renovated, except for the holding cells below ground level. Mandela and his fellow trialists found themselves in one of these cells on every day of the trial. The walls of the cell carry messages left by generations of political prisoners.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation released photos of graffiti in the holding cells at the Palace of Justice, Pretoria. Read more here

Mbongeni Buthelezi is the epitomy of Sustainability through Art. He has made a name for himself in contemporary art through his use of waste plastic. Buthelezi "paintings" are made of waste plastic, which he cuts into little pieces and melts, with a heat gun, onto a plastic canvas. This man is unique in making his contribution to a more sustainable world.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital

Madiba had a dream of establishing a dedicated children's hospital. In 2016, NMCH is rapidly nearing completion. The Nelson Mandela Children’s Trust strives to change the way society treats its children and youth. This long-term vision captures the central role society plays in shaping children’s lives. To make your contribution in helping Mandela's dream come true, click here

 

Children of Africa Unite on the iStart2 Show today. Nine #Bee organisations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe will be taking part in a first-ever African Spelling Bee competition scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the next few days. Today we chat to Zameer Dada, a former Spelling Bee winner  and his Mom, Kuraysha. Zameer will be part of the team representing South Africa in this extraordinary event. Best of luck to all the participants!!

Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at 17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg and countrywide on ‪#‎DStv‬ audio channel 869. 

Radio Today also streams globally on www.1485.org.za. 

Something to think about ...

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains,

 but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others"

- Nelson Mandela

Power of Africa ... Geoff Rothschild

Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begun

Beautiful words from a song, Memory, sung by Elaine Paige was one of the songs chosen by Geoff Rothschild to play on our show. (The other was Power of Africa by Yvonne Chaka Chaka)

When I left the studio after the show yesterday, it felt good to know that there are people out there who are giving their all to make South Africa a more sustainable country to live in. Geoff Rothschild is one of those people.

I was taken aback by the humbleness, the business acumen and the "human beingness" of this great man. Someone not scared to share his greatness with the world and the people of our nation. Thank you Geoff! Yesterday is a memory I will treasure and a new day will begun for the children of South Africa ...

Our guest, Geoff Rothschild, Patron of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust, the Head of Government and International Affairs at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and its former chairman, received the Education Africa Allegiance Award at the Education Africa Lifetime Achievement Awards in New York City last month. He is also a director at the Nepad Business Foundation and Council member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation.

We chatted to Geoff about the Award, sustainability, King III, the NDP, citizenship and his community work, on the iStart2 Show. We also asked him the BILLION  "Dollar" question: "How does one raise R1 Billion?"

Nelson Mandela made the dreams of millions of people true - You can help by making Mr Mandela's dream of building a children's hospital true by contributing R20 to the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust. Just sms gift to 40301. To listen to a podcast of the show click play below.



Listen to the iStart2 Show on Radio Today 1485 AM in Jozi, dstv Audio Channel 869 or worldwide on www.1485.org.za. The show is on every Monday at 18h30 and repeated on Thursdays at 19h00 (SA Time) 

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