The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) has announced that it will be hosting a fun walk with children to mark the annual Children's Celebration. The walk will be held in Johannesburg on Saturday, 13 July. The NMCF says the walk is part of the build-up for the Fund's 30th Anniversary next year.
The NMCF says that this is the fund's biggest project to date.
The fun walk will begin at the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital and the 5km trail will include key landmarks. It will end at Johannesburg Zoo, where there will be different festivities, such as face painting, dancing and poetry.
As it has become a tradition and the norm during this month of Nelson Mandela's birthday, the fund will always prioritise having children as the main guests — the same way Mandela did — prioritising celebrating his birthday with children, says the fund.
The fund adds that over the years, it has ensured that children remain a part of the national agenda; hence, the fun walk will be a further indication that the NMCF is serious about going the extra mile so that vulnerable children don't have to.
The fun walk is part of the 10-year commemoration of Mandela's passing, with the organisational theme of 'Gone but not forgotten — Legacy in Action' but the theme for the day is 'sports stars,' says the NMCF.
Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo, chief executive officer of the NMCF, says, "It's a fun event and one we take pride in. There will be children and adults from different backgrounds in our society. The purpose here is for children to play, have fun, make friends and just have an opportunity to be children in a safe space."
The fun walk is yet another statement by the fund that it cares about South Africa's children and will not cease to be an authoritative voice on children's issues, according to the fund.
Ncube-Nkomo concludes, "We want the children to know more about Madiba; hence, there will be related facts and information about Madiba and the fund itself, which was his first legacy project. As South Africans, we need to continue working on the preservation of Madiba's legacy. A good start is always to look after the needs of our children."
The NMCF encourages everyone to purchase tickets and choose the package that fits their family. The NMCF child safeguarding protocols require that only registered ticket bearers will be able to take part in the walk.
Tickets can be purchased here.
For more information, visit www.nelsonmandelachildrensfund.com. You can also follow the NMCF on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of contributor