Mandela Day is an international day of remembrance and celebration dedicated to the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa and a global icon of peace, reconciliation, and social justice.
The day is observed annually on July 18th, which is Nelson Mandela’s birthday, and it aims to inspire individuals, organizations, and governments to take action and make a positive impact in their communities. This initiative encourages people to dedicate 67 minutes of their time (symbolizing the 67 years that Nelson Mandela spent in public service) to acts of service, with the goal of helping to create a better world.
Because Impact forms a part of our ethos, Boldr gladly participates in this global call to action every year. Let’s take a look at how our global offices celebrated Mandela Day 2023.
Our Manila team members visited The Home for the Golden Gays and donated 10 boxes full of food supplies and 19 bags of 5kg rice to the resident grandmothers, or lolas.
The Home for the Golden Gays was founded in 1975 by Justo Justo, a Filipino columnist and AIDS activist, who voluntarily opened his home to the lolas of the LGBTQI+ community who were over 60 years of age. Our Manila volunteers spent the day with the lolas as they shared their fun drag stories and struggles as senior members of the LGBTQI+ community during and after the pandemic. Their priority is to someday have a sustainable long-term place of residence, a permanent senior facility, that will last for generations.
Our Tacloban office did not have one but two Mandela Day celebrations. First, they made a donation of 67 hygiene kits to the senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and LGBTQ persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Tacloban City Jail Male Dormitory.
Their second initiative was a Nutrition Project for disadvantaged kids, along with Volunteer for the Visayans. It’s a non-profit, non-government organization that enables individuals or organizations with the heart to serve and bless the less fortunate, to become involved in community outreach or volunteering initiatives. A total of 145 disadvantaged children from 3 barangays benefited from this project.
In Merida, our team decided to support Patitas Felinas, a cat shelter that rescues, rehabilitates, protects, and improves the quality of life of cats that have suffered abuse and abandonment. More than 50 cats benefited from our donation of 60 cans of cat food. The goal of this initiative is to create a space where team members can play with them and promote cat adoption.
In South Africa, where Nelson Mandela was born, the Boldr team commemorated Mandela Day by collaborating once again with Souper Troopers, a non-profit organization dedicated to aiding unhoused individuals.
In addition to the generous contribution of essential items, such as face cloths, dental kits, soaps, deodorants, body lotions, and sanitary towels, our Cape Town team had the opportunity to spend quality time with these men and women. During their interaction, they shared a meal and fostered connections with them. The unhoused community graciously opened up about their personal stories of adversity and loss, allowing for a profound exchange.
Furthermore, Boldr’s team members discussed the possibility of providing fundamental Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) training for entry-level positions. This training could potentially create a plethora of employment opportunities for these individuals, offering them a chance for a brighter future.
These celebrations served as a testament to the enduring power of compassion and action, reminding us all that small gestures can create profound changes in our communities and the world. Mandela Day isn’t just a day of remembrance, but also a commitment to making a difference. It’s Boldr’s goal to stand proudly at the forefront of this meaningful global movement.
Chay Ama is the Knowledge Management Coordinator at Boldr. Her experience in organizational communication, marketing, customer service, social media, photography, styling, and visual storytelling earns her the self-proclaimed title “jack-of-all-trades.”