The light shines bright at the Inkanyiso Day Care Centre on Mandela Day
Mandela day, one of the most special days in the world calendar, is a day where people internationally, are urged to give 67 minutes towards the less fortunate and needy as a gesture of goodwill. National Department of Arts and Culture lead by Minister Nathi Mthethwa and the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture and Rural Development lead by MEC Cyril Xaba, contributed their time at the Inkanyiso Day Care centre for children living with disabilities in Mphophomeni north of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
Minister Nathi Mthethwa with MEC Cyril Xaba got a direct opportunity to interact with the children at the centre. The two dignitaries joined by various members of the three spheres of government and members of the community, got their hands dirty as they helped in the painting of the centre.
This centre was started in 1992 by Mrs Joyce Ntombela who after giving birth to a baby living with a mental disability, realised that a centre to cater for these children was a necessity in the area. Mrs Ntombela says her hardship of taking care of her son has made her even more determined and resilient in making the centre a success.
“I started this centre with absolutely nothing. I have been sent from pillar to post trying to set it up with no success, but my drive to see these children in this community taken care of and given the best possible life for them to maximize their capabilities, kept me going. Just look at it today… thank you almighty and thank you Madiba” she said. Both Mthethwa and Xaba where moved by Mam’ Ntombela’s story that it even showed in the determination on their faces as their painted and gave new wheelchairs, toys and beds to the children of Inkanyiso Day care centre.
Minister Mthethwa said this is a day that South Africans celebrate being African because former President Nelson Mandela didn’t only belong to South Africans but to the world in general, “let us not only choose the parts we like in Mandela’s life but let us rather, when we talk about him talk about him holistically, from the underground struggle mastermind to the leader and the icon he has become.
Through that, we will realize before we are South African we are African and let us embrace his teachings as he would have wanted and expected us to” he said. Amongst some of the many activities happening in the centre, the dignitaries had a chance to bring new life into the centre, a new beginning of prosperity and possibility.
This was done when everyone joined in and planted vegetables and small trees in the garden located within the centre premises. This brought a new sense of enthusiasm to MEC Xaba and he said that the future of this country is in its youth and former President Nelson Mandela believed in the youth of this country.
These plants that we are planting here represent exactly that, a new life that must be taken care of until it is strong enough to bear fruits that will take care of us. The dignitaries vowed to assist the centre as much as possible through the provincial Department of Social Department to ensure its longevity and prosperity.
Enquiries:
Lelethu Manentsa
Cell: 071 492 5716
Email: lelethu01@gmail.com
