Thousands of volunteers participated in the Ladles of Love’s "Hands-On Heroes" event at DHL Stadium.
Thousands of volunteers converged on the DHL Stadium in Cape Town today for Ladles of Love’s "Hands-On Heroes" event, bringing a wave of community spirit to mark Mandela Day. The initiative, which encourages South Africans to dedicate 67 minutes to service, aimed to provide essential food and educational resources for 20,000 preschool children in under-resourced communities. The Cape Town event saw families, schools, companies, and community groups working side-by-side across "Make, Create, Craft, and Grow" zones.
Participants prepared sandwiches, packed nutrition boxes, created early learning aids, and planted vegetable boxes, embodying the spirit of collective responsibility. "Today was a reminder of what Nelson Mandela stood for – ordinary people taking responsibility for making their communities better places," said Danny Diliberto, founder of Ladles of Love. He noted that the theme of this year's International Mandela Day, "It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity," serves as a call to action for every citizen.
Marc Lottering and his husband Anwar McKay.
Cape Town performer and event attendee Marc Lottering praised the camaraderie on display. "What’s amazing for me today, once again, is to see everybody from all walks of life coming together to do something so important," Lottering said. "We shouldn't just do it on Mandela Day."
