Johannesburg - “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.”
So said Nelson Mandela at the 90th birthday celebrations of fellow Struggle stalwart Walter Sisulu in 2002.
Seven years later, on his own 90th birthday, a unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly marked July 18, the day Mandela was born, as Nelson Mandela International Day.
And so began a movement that would see people dedicating 67 minutes of their time to a community-service activity, named for the 67 years Mandela spent making the world a better place.
Sixty-seven people will celebrate his birthday this year by trekking through Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania to attempt to summit Africa's highest mountain on July 18.
The aim is to raise funds for underprivileged girls whose parents cannot afford to buy them monthly supplies of sanitary towels.
Spearheaded by the Imbumba Foundation's Richard Mabaso, and through a partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other sponsors (Independent Media and Bongani Lodge), it's hoped the Caring4Girls initiative will raise enough money to supply 350 000 girls with sanitary towels.
Last year, more than 3 million sanitary towels were distributed across KZN, Mpumalanga and Gauteng, with some schools in North West receiving their share last week.
Of the initiative that started in 2012 with the aim of changing the lives of 2 million girls by 2020, Mabaso said: “I had the privilege of watching Trek4Mandela and Caring4Girls growing from baby steps to where they are today.
“The most important thing for me was to see the public sector, private sector and individuals rallying around the project to make it what it is now.
“Without the support of stakeholders, the programme would not be where it is today. It's humbling to see those institutions coming on board.”
As an uncle whose niece experienced her first period without a sanitary towel, Mabaso said: “It's my belief that we will be able to restore the dignity and pride of young women.”
Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive Sello Hatang said: “We must always remember that as we rise, we need not leave a lot of people behind. We must keep lifting them. It's a great project for all of us as a nation.”
He joined the 2015 Trek4Mandela team, but won't be able to summit this year as the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture will be held on July 17, just a day before the team reach the peak of Africa.
This year's lecture, to be addressed by Bill Gates, carries the theme “living together.”
* It costs R30 to keep one girl in school for one month.
Independent Media has partnered with Imbumba Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the 2016 Trek4Mandela and Caring4Girls initiative. Through this partnership, Bongani Mountain Lodge will sponsor deputy news editors Omphitlhetse Mooki to summit with the group, recording their every step.
To help raise funds for sanitary towels, please SMS “OMPHI” to 42513, or deposit directly into the Imbumba Foundation trust account: FNB cheque account 62345136677. Branch name: Empangeni. Branch code: 220130. Swift code: FIRNZAJJ. Ref: Omphi
THE CLIMBERS
LETSHEGO ZULU:
Fitness fanatic and biokineticist. The other half of an “adventure couple” duo, Letshego plans to summit Mount Kilimanjaro alongside her South African rally and touring-car driver partner, Gugu Zulu.
The pair are known as “the adventure couple” as they are adrenalin junkies of note and include Bikers for Nelson Mandela among the long list of activities they do together.
But for Letshego, it was while she was pregnant with their daughter that a conversation she once had with Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive Sello Hatang sank in.
“We can provide for our girl, so I thought, what better way to help other girls? We're looking forward to doing it.
“Gugs and I are known as the adventure couple, so what a great cause to support! It's actually cool when a macho guy like Gugu raises awareness (for sanitary towels). All it takes is R30 a month or R360 a year.
“We easily spend R360 on entertainment,” Letshego said.
To help the couple raise funds, search for AdventureCouple Zulu on www.givengain.com. Alternatively, SMS Letshego at 43513.
TABISA NKOMO:
Fitness fanatic and Joburg-based accountant.
From a very early age, Nkomo”s dream has been to one day summit beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro.
She saved to be able to celebrate her 30th birthday atop Africa's highest mountain, and it was “while searching for a group to train with that I stumbled on #Caring4Girls”, she said.
But it was too late at the time, as the 2015 Trek4Mandela team were about to leave for Tanzania, so she had to keep her funds under lock and key until this year.
The Caring4Girls initiative hit home for this accountant at Goodyear SA.
As a little girl, she was shocked to see her mother”s helper using old rags as makeshift sanitary towels.
“I come from the rural area of Lusikisiki (Eastern Cape), where some people still use old clothes during their cycle.
“When I saw this happen, I was shocked and asked my late mom to please help our helper by buying her the pads.
“So this to me was a chance to spread the need for sanitary towels and help ensure that other girls don't go through what our helper had to go through,” said Nkomo.
Having already saved for her own travel expenses, Nkomo's focus this year is to raise funds for girls who cannot afford sanitary towels, and on June 18, exactly a month before the summit bid, she will host a gala dinner to raise as much money as possible.
The event will be held at Gold Reef City”s Back of the Moon from 7pm and the entrance fee is R500.
All proceeds will go towards the Imbumba Foundation”s Caring4Girls initiative. Alternatively, SMS Tabisa at 43513.
MILLY REHBOCK:
Fashion buyer at Truworths.
To help with #KeepAGirlChild-InSchool, Rehbock has taken on a massive social media campaign, setting up the www.millydoeskili.com website to help raise awareness.
While climbing Kilimanjaro is a personal challenge, “I am taking it on in support of a cause very close to my heart, Caring4Girls,” she said. “My full campaign name is Milly Does Kili - Caring4Girls one step at a time,” the Cape Town resident said.
“This is an important issue, something no one wants to talk about; it's imperative that we raise awareness about it.
“We should be empowering the girls of our country and helping them to understand menstruation and not be ashamed of it,” according to Rehbock.
“Having access to the right products should be a right and not a privilege, and I think it's important for all of us to think about what it would be like for us if this right were to be taken away.”
To support Rehbock, visit her website or SMS “Milly” to 43513.
Omphitlhetse Mooki, The Star