“It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.” … Nelson Mandela

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.”

Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day to honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa. It is celebrated each year on the 18th of July, which is Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009. The call to action for Nelson Mandela International Day 2023 is “Climate, Food & Solidarity” and reflects some of the most urgent challenges facing people worldwide. “This year will focus on dismantling poverty and inequality by acting against climate change and creating resilient food environments.”

For many, the humanity and commitment to education of Nelson Mandela was inspirational. We can honor his legacy of positive change and perseverance by actively participating in the countrywide programs on the 18th of July 2023, that encourages people throughout South Africa to embrace the spirit of Mandela Day, and to devote at least 67 minutes of their time that day to positively impact their surrounding communities and other people’s lives.

We have the power to make an impact and to transform each other’s lives for the better through their actions of selfless giving, and to positively impact the lives of others, especially those less fortunate.

The way we relate to and interact with one another in our community schemes despite the attempts by their words and actions of a vocal minority who seem to thrive on trying to divide us, can have a direct impact on how our society is viewed both by ourselves, and by others. Our sense and experience of community built in our community schemes can be a building block on which our South African society is founded, but all of this has become progressively more difficult in the face of the continued attempts on social media and other platforms to divide us and alienate us from one another.

More than ever, we need to connect with one another through whatever means that are available to us, so that we can build trust and still try and maintain a sense of community and belonging. We cannot please everyone all the time, rather our focus should be on what we are grateful for and what we can change, and then to be the change where we find ourselves in that moment.

We are all facing difficult times and all trying to get through what is happening around us in one piece and with our sanity intact. By developing an attitude of gratitude, a positive inner voice in our heads and focusing our attention on the positives of what we do have, we may find a compelling reason to look around and to be a helping hand to others with much greater needs than those we have.

Hopefully we can all find a way on the 18th of July to make an impact on the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. In these challenging times, Mandela’s legacy has taught us to choose dignity over humiliation, to speak up when faced by cruelty and injustice, and to forgive others rather than seek out retribution. He once said, “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

At Whitfields we endeavour to listen, care, and deliver, through the services we provide to the community schemes we manage. We undertake to provide informed, relevant, and updated information to the scheme executives on the applicable governing legislation for their scheme, and how it impacts the scheme where they are appointed. Additionally, we will provide them with the necessary direction and advice as to how they can best manage their schemes, and in doing so we will strive to we meet our client’s expectations in terms of the service we provide.

At times we may fail, but we will always try our best to do better and to improve. We have done so for the past 30 years and look forward to doing so into the future!