This year’s Mandela Day, on 18 July, marks what would have been Madiba’s 100th birthday.  This centenary adds something extra special to a heartfelt day that traditionally unites the country in service with the hope of a better South Africa for all.  To celebrate this milestone birthday Woolworths has launched three cause-related products making it easy for their customers and people to join in the celebrations while contributing to good causes.

At the core of the campaign is a locally-made, reusable commemorative shopping bag that will also help phase out consumer reliance on single-use plastic bags.  Emblazoned with Nelson Mandela’s unforgettable quotes such as “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it”, the Mandela Day shopping bag is the newest addition in the Woolworths cause-related reusable bag range. 

“Woolworths is proud to support the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s “Be the Legacy’ campaign,” says Zinzi Mgolodela, Woolworths Head of Corporate Affairs.  “In line with Madiba’s vision for the upliftment of women in society, Woolworths will donate R10 from the sale of each bag to the Nelson Mandela Foundation for the benefit of the Caring4Girls programme. 100 000 Mandela Day bags have been produced locally with the aim of raising R1 million to scale up the important work of Caring4Girls.”

The Caring4Girls programme focuses on distributing feminine hygiene resources amongst adolescent girls to ensure that they continue to go to school during their monthly cycles.  They also provide health education on puberty and adolescence to debunk menstrual related myths and break down societal taboos.  The project is a catalyst for positive body awareness, autonomy of choice and gender equality.

Woolies customers can also celebrate the occasion of Madiba’s 100th birthday through purchasing the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s official Mandela centenary T-shirt.  The Mandela100 T-shirts are made in South Africa with cotton grown in Africa.  The T-shirt features the beloved face of the icon made up of 240 words associated with his vision, wisdom and legacy.  They are available at selected Woolworths stores and online for R150, and all profits will be donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.  During the month of July, the Foundation will launch its ‘Mandela Fridays’ campaign that calls on all South Africans to wear the official T-shirt on Fridays to inspire us to ‘Be the Legacy’ in our daily lives. 

Woolies is also selling the Relate Trust’s Mandela Centenary Relate bracelet.  The bracelets are handmade by participants in a poverty reduction programme of the Relate Trust, and proceeds are used to support the Nelson Mandela Literacy Project.  The bracelet features five vibrantly coloured beads on either side of a pewter plaque engraved with ‘Mandela 18.07.18’ and every bracelet sold, directly supports the Mandela Library Project, enabling them to install libraries in under-resourced schools.

“Nelson Mandela had great hopes for South Africa to be a nation committed to service. There are many of us who would also like to celebrate his 100th birthday by taking action.  Woolies customers are invited to join the MySchool and BetterSA volunteering movement by signing up at www.bettersa.org and participating in a well-organised community outing that makes a wonderful difference,” concludes Mgolodela.