67 minutes, enough to light a spark?
Author: Heidi // Category: My life, Stuff that wont fit into other categories
I’ve never been very good when it comes to charity or humanitarian work. I do my bit every now and then on a personal level when I see someone in need but it is really not much. I am not apologetic for this – I recognise the need for angels in our society but I am not that good at actively being one of them. That is why the events of last week surprised and delighted me – as part of assignment for a client, I visited the Nkosi’s Haven Village in the South of Johannesburg to report on them giving 67 minutes of their time to help better humanity and I think it may have lit a spark of something in me.
“OK, so why 67 minutes?’ you ask… well, where the hell have you been this week? It was Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday on Saturday and also the inaugural “Mandela Day” a day where ordinary citizens were asked to donate just 67 minutes of their lives – to honour the 67 years that this great man spent on humanitarian causes. So what can you do in an hour and 7 minutes? Not much – but I think the point is to use that time to start something bigger.
So, back to my story – we arrived at Nkosi’s Haven Village in a convoy of 4 cars. 5 South African women out to do a little bit for others. The task we were given was to sort out donated clothes, linen and toys into sizes, gender’s and ages. No mean feat considering the mountain of clothes, higher than our heads! Its not a glam job by any means but without it, the Village is unable to distribute the clothes to those who need them.
In our 67 minutes we managed to sort over 12 large bags of clothing out, but this hardly scratched the surface. I have not been able to get that pile of clothing off my mind and I am thinking of getting a few geeks (and non-geeks) together and going through to the Village on a Saturday morning to help finish the job.
Nkosi Johnson did so much for the plight of HIV positive people in his short life and Gail Johnson is taking his good work to new heights with Nkosi’s Haven & Nkosi’s Haven Village, but they need our help. What are your thoughts? Will you help me? Let me know so I can start organising a volunteer group.
To read more about the village and our time there, visit the Izibongi Blog.
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