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Mandela Day

19 July 2023 Media Release: Garden Route DM rolls out various activities before and on Mandela Day

Media Release: Garden Route DM rolls out various activities before and on Mandela Day

For Immediate Release
19 July 2023

While the world celebrates the life of an icon, the late President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, employees of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) also followed his example to reach out to vulnerable community members throughout the region.

GRDM kicked off their activities on 17 July by hosting a pre-Madiba Day blood donation drive at its head office in George in collaboration with the Western Cape Blood Service. The GRDM also invited the public to donate blood, which resulted in just over 50 blood donations being made.

The Oudtshoorn Municipal Health Office donated nutritious and delicious ‘food socks’ to two families in the Buffelsdrift rural area of Oudtshoorn. Food socks contain pasta, rice, flavourings, stock powders, herbs, spices, dehydrated vegetables, pulses, beans, and soy products. GRDM officials bought the socks. The donation will provide food for eight beneficiaries for a week. The two families extended their appreciation to the GRDM officials for providing them with food.

The Oudtshoorn Municipal Health Office donated ‘food socks’ to families in Buffelsdrift.

Planning and Economic Development Department officials, comprised of the EPWP, Tourism and Local Economic Development, and Human Settlements sections, took Madiba Day activities to a new level when they rolled out the following activities at Kusile Baby Care in Thembalethu. In the morning, they divided themselves into different groups. The first group painted the outside walls of the school building with a primer. After that, others begin painting the building with a beautiful topcoat colour. Other officials, who are much more handy with a hammer and nails, installed PVC ceilings. Some of the female colleagues spent time reading and feeding toddlers and newborns. While others prepared a ‘braai’ lunch for the children and their educators. The daycare center also received a coat from officials.
GRDM Planning and Economic Development officials installing PVC ceilings and feeding toddlers at Kusile Baby Care in Thembalethu.
Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) of Garden Route District Municipality’s Wilderness region celebrated Mandela Day with 60 children from Klipdrift Primary School. The EHPs painted a classroom and supplied colourful tires to improve the playground area. EHPs also shared slices of cake and snack parcels with each child, while they also played games and shared the importance of giving back to others.
EHP officials of GRDM shared cake with children from Klipdrift Primary School and improved their playground.
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Firefighters proved that they can do more than fight wildfires and protect communities. They made sandwiches and distributed them with cool drinks to homeless people in George’s Shoprite parking lot.

GRDM Firefighters sharing sandwiches and cool drinks with homeless people in George.

Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Office of the Municipal Manager, donated 51 pairs of shoes and funds to Mzoxolo Primary School. The shoe donations sprout from the Walk a Child to School campaign and included more staff donations too. The school is already collecting small donations from learners on Fridays to buy shoes for those who are in need. Principal Raymond Eagan thanked the GRDM for the shoe donations and funding. He said: “Our school is home to 1554 bright minds and 42 dedicated teachers.” Learners are mainly from Borchards, Thembalethu, Maraiskamp, Parkdene, and Lawaaikamp. The Principal also said the school’s name, Mzoxola, means “a beacon for peace,” and it was established in 1994 by Naledi Pandor.

Officials of the Office of the Municipal Manager GRDM donated 51 pair of shoes and funds to Mzoxolo Primary School in Lawaaikamp.

ENDS

20 July 2022 Media Release: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Media Release:  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

For immediate release
20 July 2022

In celebration of the International Nelson Mandela Day, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) officials, including management and councillors, joined forces with the rest of the globe to reached the 2022 tagline of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, ‘Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.’

GRDM day was filled with various activities, including gardening, cleaning, cooking and serving meals, maintenance and painting of classrooms, donating and handing out baby necessities and food parcels.

The GRDM Council and management wishes to express their gratitude to all officials who have in all cases used their personal funds to put a smile on the faces of community members, improve society, or have a significant impact on society during these difficult times.

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” ­– Nelson Mandela

 

 The following is a brief summary of all the activities that took place at GRDM:

Offices of the Municipal Manager

Garden Route District Municipality’s Office of the Municipal Manager visited the George Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) in Pacaltsdorp to ‘redo’ a classroom, starting with painting the walls and ceiling, cleaning and redecorating the classroom with colourful curtains and interesting pictures.  Officials were divided into two groups, and while one group was busy inside, the other planted several types of veggies outside to get the school to start becoming more food secure.  The Speaker and some of the Portfolio Councillors also supported and attended this initiative.

Planning & Economic Development Services

During their 67-minute ‘community service’, officials of the Planning and Economic Development Department visited Kusile Baby Care in Thembalethu, George. These officials dedicated their time to paint the school. In addition, they donated plastic chairs, tables, party packs, and vegetable seeds to be planted at the school.

Financial Services

The Garden Route District Municipality’s George Financial Services Department visited the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) on Madiba Day to honor Nelson Mandela’s legacy.  Officials donated dog and cat food during their visit.

The officials spent time walking, playing, socializing, and interacting with the pets.

Roads Services

Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Roads Services Department understands the importance of serving our communities and making sure our roads are safe and accessible.  During their 67 minutes of ‘community service’ yesterday, these officials cleaned the playground that it is safe for the kids.

Corporate Services

In celebration of International Nelson Mandela Day, GRDM Corporate Services officials served lunch (hotdogs) to toddlers at Toddlers Inn Crèche in Conville. Additionally, they donated much needed stationary and balls to the children. Children and adults played different ball games while waiting for lunch.

Community Services

George Sub-office

“Giving is not just making a donation; it is making a difference”. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) EHPs from the Wilderness Region made an incredible difference at Bethesda – Child and Youth Care Centre in George when they celebrated Nelson Mandela Day. 34 parcels of toiletries, including toothbrushes, bath soap, sanitary towels, roll-on, nappies, wipes and body lotions were handed out to the facility in honour of the legacy of the late President Nelson Mandela.

Additionally, 34 snack parcels were also distributed to kids of diverse ages at the same facility, ranging from 2 to 17 years. To make the donation even more meaningful, educational books, toys, games, and bibles were also donated to Bethesda Child and Youth Care Centre.

Bitou Sub-office

In commemoration of Mandela Day, EHPs from the Garden Route District Municipality’s Bitou sub- office, Zoleka Goniwe, Sophia Marthinus and Nokuphiwa Mbali visited the Protea Service Centre for the Elderly in Kranshoek.  They spent 67 minutes serving food, cleaning and packing food parcels for the home-based elders. EHPs also contributed vegetables as part of this good cause!

Klein Karoo Region Sub-office

In honour of the 2022 Madiba day celebrations, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) from the Garden Route District Municipality in the Klein Karoo region donated gift packs containing toiletries, chips, and sweets to toddlers at De Kleine Zeekoe Créche in Oudtshoorn.  The EHPs also performed a hand wash demonstration activity to the toddlers.  Management and educators of the crèche expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the gesture.

Disaster Management Services

The Garden Route District Municipality’s Disaster Management Team also did their part to honor Madiba’s legacy by packing soup packs for the winter with other organisations at the Garden Route Food Pantry.  After that, the team dropped off blankets at the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and provided hot soup and blankets at the Homeless Shelter.

Fire Services

Blocked drains are usually one of the main causes of flooding in towns, so the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Firefighters in George, Riversdale and Ladismith decided to be proactive and spend their 67 minutes cleaning the drains and removing rubbish in their respective towns that may cause problems later.

Victoria Bay Caravan Park

Since the Victoria Bay Caravan Park Team enjoys the outdoors as well as their own resort, they decided to spend their 67 minutes cleaning their own resort.

Swartvlei Caravan Park

Officials from Swartvlei and Victoria Bay Caravan Parks decided to dedicate their 67 minutes to 36 children from Gummy Bears Preschool in Sedgefield, by brightening up the little ones’ day with candy parcels.  The smile on each child’s face was heart-warming to witness!

02 August 2021 Media Release: “EHPs ends off Madiba Month on a high note”

Media Release: “EHPs ends off Madiba Month on a high note”

For Immediate Release
02  August 2021

In honour of the legacy of the late former President Nelson Mandela, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) of the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) George Office, in collaboration with the Western Cape Government Department of Health (WCDOH), devoted 67 minutes of their time to educate visitors at the Blanco Clinic for Madiba Day.

To demonstrate their commitment and dedication to protecting public health during the current Covid-19 pandemic, these men and women conducted health & hygiene education and awareness sessions for the patients visiting the clinic.

EHPs rolled out this initiative while adhering to all COVID-19 protocols. They distributed buffs and educational pamphlets for later use and to emphasise that the only way to protect them against COVID-19 is by:

  • Proper hand-wash practices;
  • Wear a mask in public that covers the nose and mouth; and
  • To keep social distancing of at least 1, 5 m.

Mandela Day is a global call-to-action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world and the ability to make an impact. This year’s Mandela Day campaign message was, “Nelson Mandela has fought for social justice for 67 years. We’re asking you to start with 67 minutes.”

22 July 2021 Media Release: GRDM Environmental Health Practitioners donate essentials in celebration of Mandela Day

Media Release: GRDM EHPs donate essentials in celebration of Mandela Day

For immediate release
22 July 2021

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) based in the Klein-Karoo and Mossel Bay recently visited and donated essentials to two establishments in Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, respectively.

The Mossel Bay team, according to Shandré Abrahams, Employee Assistance Practitioner at GRDM, visited the Creating Effective Families (CEF) establishment in Mossel Bay. CEF is an organisation that caters for the abused mothers and children where temporary shelter for these individuals from abused relationships are provided for. The team donated toiletries, clothes, baby goodies and other essentials to the facility.

Officials from the Oudtshoorn office, including (fltr) Elizna Cairncross, Johan Smith, Desmond Paulse, Georg Hendriksz, Maxweline Fatuse, Willie Plaatjies and Elizabeth Verwey (front), with the essentials donated to the Rin-Tin-Tin Crèche in Kruisrivier,  Calitzdorp.

On Monday, 19 July 2021, the Klein Karoo Municipal Health Section based in Oudtshoorn donated gift packs to toddlers of the Rin-Tin-Tin Crèche in Kruisrivier, in Calitzdorp. Each packet contained a face cloth, soap bar, toothpaste, toothbrush, chips and a sweet.

The principal of the crèche, Inge Ewerts, expressed her appreciation towards the GRDM officials for showing commitment towards caring for the community, primarily due to the basic necessity needs that exist within the community.

Members of the community appreciated the gesture and extended a word of appreciation to both teams, who prioritised them as beneficiaries of their initiatives. The officials contributed from their personal funds to make a success of this outreach.

The Human Resources Unit of GRDM are planning further Mandela Day activities towards the end of this month. The entire GRDM also participated in the Walk-A-Child to School campaign which ended at the end of June 2021. Donations will be distributed to various less fortunate schools within the next two weeks if the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.

Feature Photo: The Mossel Bay team (fltr) including Neo-lay Britz, Jenay van Niekerk, Analize Fuzani, Monique Anthony, Marlene Losper, Rinay Cloete, Delmarie Lewis and Sam Bendle, with the essentials donated to the Creating Effective Families facility in Mossel Bay

ENDS

18 July 2020 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality celebrates Mandela Day and donates essential items to the vulnerable

Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality celebrates Mandela Day and donates essential items to the vulnerable

For Immediate Release
18 July 2020

While the world celebrates the life of an icon, the late President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, employees of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) also followed his example to reach out to vulnerable community members in George.

Employees from the Corporate Services Department at GRDM did their bit by contributing towards buying essential food hampers for households who are struggling under the financial strain of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The items were donated to the beneficiaries on Friday, a day before the celebration of Madiba’s birthday.

Readily prepared food hampers soon before it was donated to vulnerable residents of George.

Ms Shandré Abrahams, GRDM Employee Wellness Practitioner, who drives this annual programme, said: “This is a very difficult time in the lives of many South Africans and it’s amazing to see employees reaching in their pockets to continue to do their bit to support the residents of the Garden Route”.

In previous years officials based at all the Municipal Health offices across the district also participated in this initiative, however due to their added COVID-19 responsibilities of creating awareness, monitoring additional hygiene compliance measures and contact tracing activities, they were unable to partake in this years’ programme. However, the GRDM Municipal Health office in George plans to hand out masks to the community of Thembalethu in George after news broke that this area was recently declared as the COVID-19 hotspot in the region and George. The Environmental Health Practitioners continue to create awareness about the virus and the danger thereof to members of the community and continuously urge them to adhere to the relevant regulations.

Through this initiative, it is fulfilling to observe how every single donation can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. It never matters how big or small selfless acts or donations are, what matters is the intention and compassion of a person to bring about change during a time when the world is on its knees.

“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” -Nelson Mandela

ENDS

Roads Services Madiba Day

“100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” celebrations

For their 67 minutes, Roads Department officials handed out food to job seekers who gather at the pickup point in Industrial Road. Items such as beans, meat, samp and soup mix were donated by Roads officials who joined forces to make a hearty, warm meal that was handed out with bread.  Roads Officials who can be seen in the photographs: Ms Jeanine Saaiman, Ms Angela Buys, Ms Teresa Norjie-Singh and Mr Rigardt Pyler.

Eden District Municipal Health Office in Mossel Bay donated dog food to the Mossel Bay SPCA

“100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” Celebrations

Officials from the Eden District Municipal Health Office in Mossel Bay donated dog food to the Mossel Bay SPCA and also used the opportunity to play with the dogs at the facility. Executive Deputy Mayor of Eden District Municipality, Cllr Rosina Ruiters, Cllr Erica Meyer, Mr Wayne Odendaal, Ms Marlene Losper, Dr Johann Schoeman, Ms Jenay van Niekerk and Mr Angus Andries, participated in the initiative.

Kennel Manager of the facility, Ms Jolandi Esterhuizen, thanked the team and received the items on behalf of the facility.

Rampbestuur en Brandweer afdelings besoek Van Der Hoven Laerskool

“100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” vieringe

Eden Distriksmunisipaliteit (Eden DM) se Rampbestuur en Brandweer afdelings het die Van Der Hoven Laerskool besoek. Die skool bestaan uit 4 onderwysers, ‘n sekretaresse en 75 leerders tot en met Graad 5.

Mnr Gerhard Otto van Eden DM het die verskillende afdelings aan die personeel en leerders voorgestel. Tydens die aktiwiteite het me Gail Bekeer noodhulpwenke aan die kinders verduidelik en me Tippie Bouwer het noodnommers aan die leerders verskaf. Brandweerpersoneel het ‘n skuim demonstrasie gedoen en die kinders hul ‘bunker’ pakke laat aantrek. Ter afsluiting, is kerrie en rys aan die leerders bedien, waarna ‘goodie bags’ en sakke vol klere aan almal oorhandig is.

Die skoolhoof, me Anita Oosthuizen, het die Eden span hartlik bedank vir die gebaar.

Municipal Health in George celebrated Mandela Day with clean-up operation

“100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” celebrations

Officials from the Eden District Municipal Health office in George celebrated “Mandela Day” by means of a clean-up operation at the Molen River in Thembalethu, George.

This operation was carried out in collaboration with the following stakeholders: Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency, DWS, Cape Nature, George Municipality (Waste Management & Expanded Public Works Programme) and a few community members of Thembalethu. Instead of 67 minutes, 100 minutes were devoted to the initiative as part of the “Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” celebrations.

Eden DM Municipal Health in Hessequa visited Kruisrivier and Goedgegund Primary schools

“100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018” celebrations

The Eden District Municipal Health Office in Hessequa visited the Kruisrivier and Goedgegund Primary schools (rural schools) where the team donated pencil bags, water bottles and school clothes to the learners.

It is always heart-warming to see the smile on the face of a child. However, the team feels it is disappointing that they “can not reach out to communities in this way, on a regular basis”.