Johannesburg - Mandela Month kicked off on July 1, as July 18 — Nelson Mandela International Day — would have marked the 105th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the Founding Patron of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Launching Mandela Month at Avianto in Muldersdrift, north of Johannesburg, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and RIDE4HOPE commemorated the occasion. The Nelson Mandela Foundation established the Nelson Mandela Legacy RIDE4HOPE as a cycling competition to advance Mandela's legacy.
The Nelson Mandela Legacy RIDE4HOPE created a platform to carry Mandela’s message of hope as it cut across two provinces: from Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Gauteng, to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal.
On the occasion, RIDE4HOPE debuted the 2023 jersey, which will serve as the official jersey for the four-day ride in September 2023 that will begin at Nelson Mandela's home on Vilakazi Street in Soweto and end at the location of his arrest in Howick. In order to give back to the community, both the crew and the riders took part in community-building initiatives along the route. The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s work was sponsored by the sale of the jersey.
The Mandela Day and Outreach Programme of the Nelson Mandela Foundation used the occasion to raise awareness of their mission to observe International Nelson Mandela Day by inspiring people all over the world to take decisive action against the interplay between food insecurity and climate change.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, which has a global network spanning government, civil society, business, and communities, will re-ignite Mandela Day's global reach through tree planting and the stimulation of worldwide home-based and community food gardens. This international network connects China, England, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Seychelles, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and many other nations.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation and RIDE4HOPE planted a tree to commemorate the beginning of Mandela Month and to reaffirm their dedication to working with communities to fight global climate change and food insecurity while also eradicating poverty and injustice.
The Star