{"id":45798,"date":"2023-12-14T09:44:32","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T07:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/early-christmas-cheer-for-children-20231212\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T08:24:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T06:24:10","slug":"early-christmas-cheer-for-children-20231212","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/early-christmas-cheer-for-children-20231212\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Christmas cheer for children"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Nelson Mandela Museum evoked the late Nelson Mandela\u2019s giving spirit on the 10th anniversary of his passing, by hosting an early Christmas lunch for 300 vulnerable and destitute children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Christmas lunch was hosted at the Qunu Nelson Mandela Museum Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu, on December 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He used to host hundreds of children at his homestead in Qunu, where he spent time with them and showered them with gifts during the December holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspired by Nelson Mandela\u2019s love for children, the initiative was spearheaded by Eastern Cape Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture MEC, Nonceba Kontsiwe, and Nelson Museum Museum chief executive, Vuyani Booi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Invited children enjoyed various entertainment activities, including a foam pit machine, a jumping castle, a train ride, swings, and face painting, and were showered with various items as presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe invited children from facilities caring for vulnerable and abandoned children, as well as from early childhood centres that are based in disadvantaged communities. We also invited some from the areas that the late Nelson Mandela grew up in, such as Qunu and others,\u201d said Booi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Booi said the purpose of the Christmas lunch was for them to enjoy the meaning and the value of Christmas, whilst also making them understand the meaning, values, and significance of Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Blockquote\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_09083886\">\n<div class=\"text\">By doing this, we want to preserve the name and legacy of Tata uNelson Mandela, as he was the first democratically-elected president of South Africa. He loved and cared for the children, and we should always remember his deeds, values and principles.<\/div>\n<div class=\"citation\">Kontsiwe<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking on behalf of the Mandela family, Nelson Mandela\u2019s granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, said that they deemed it fit to revive the Christmas lunch in honour of Mandela\u2019s 10th anniversary, as it had become an annual tradition while he was still alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She further said that they were looking at sustainable programmes to help the vulnerable and destitute children who were invited to the Christmas lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want programmes that will be sustainable over time, which is why early next year the children that were chosen for the Christmas lunch will be supplied with books and other stationery, so that we can create that sustainability,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The day\u2019s festivities were concluded by a memorial lecture to reflect on the 10th anniversary of Nelson Mandela\u2019 s passing, which was delivered by Kontsiwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_f83afca7\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/9828\/efa1ceb7b1884339a5936bf1b734cfbe.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/mthathaexpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/3bf84a373dba4e9480b5976ed2e0f190.jpg\" title=\"Some of the gifts that were handed to children who attended the Christmas lunch.\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Some of the gifts that were handed to children who attended the Christmas lunch.<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Nelson Mandela Museum evoked the late Nelson Mandela\u2019s giving spirit on the 10th anniversary of his passing, by hosting an early Christmas lunch for 300 vulnerable and destitute 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