Iran Press/ Africa: Thousands of professionals and ordinary citizens made their contribution by assisting with creating crafts, knitting caps, and preparing soup meal buckets and sandwiches for underprivileged communities.
Inspired by anti-Apartheid activist and former South African president Nelson Mandela, July 18 marks the late statesman's birthday.
The day is celebrated with South Africans contributing 67 minutes to a worthy cause. Mandela devoted 67 years to fighting for South Africa's liberation.
The Ladles of Love charity says it focused on the young generation of South Africans for this year's effort.
Danny Diliberto, the founder of Ladles of Love, said, "We were aiming at our early childhood development centres. So, we created different tasks, such as creating love jars, where people would layer different pulses and we give that to the ECD's so it is easy to cook. We also prepared sandwiches, making around 40 to 50 000 sandwiches".
Thousands of volunteers gathered at the Cape Town waterfront venue, which looks out onto the ocean towards Robben Island, where Mandela spent a large part of his incarceration under Apartheid.
The milestone was recorded by Ubuntu World Records, a South African initiative documenting impactful initiatives that make the world a better place for all.
Andiswa Ncamiso, one of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers which benefited from the outreach, told Iran Press it plays a significant role in making communities safer.
"By feeding our kids, ensuring they do not go to school with an empty stomach. Also, crime is very high in our area, because of poverty. If a child is hungry, they will think of something naughty to do just to get money to eat. So, by providing these meals, to boys especially, it definitely minimizes crime in our areas," said Andiswa Ncamiso.
Mandela Day is viewed as an opportunity to come together to do good.
The South African anti-Apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela, is recognized internationally for his role in overcoming the white supremacist government and leading the country to a democracy. He was once regarded as a terrorist by the United States.
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