Pretoria - The National Rural Youth Corps (NARYSEC) will today kick-off their campaign to honour former President Nelson Mandela by cleaning schools and clinics in the deep rural areas of Limpopo.
The NARYSEC is the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's two-year programme aimed at empowering rural youth from each of the 3 300 rural wards across the country.
Madiba's birthday was declared Nelson Mandela International Day by the United Nations in 2009. He turns 93 on July 18.
Mandela Day encourages people the world over to spend 67 minutes of their time making a difference in their communities in honour of the world icon, who spent 67 years of life working to build a better life for all.
Head of communications at the department, Eddie Mohoebi, said NARYSEC participants are encouraged to play a positive role in their communities, especially in creating sustainable socio-economic development.
Moheobi said NARYSEC participants will continue with their activities, which include painting schools and clinics, and revitalisation of food gardening.
In Mpumalanga, Mohoebi said NARYSEC will link up with the department personnel to serve lunch at a shelter for the homeless.
The Vodacom campaign will afford the 6 000 employees and executives of the company an opportunity to give back to communities.
Vodacom's Executive Director, Mthobi Tyamzashe, said: "Our employees are enormously excited about the contribution that they can make all over the country. As an organisation, we are pleased that we are serious about creating possibilities and changing lives."
The cellular phone giant is the co-sponsor of the eight-day Mandela Day Bikers' Tour to rural communities in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Swaziland.
The bikers' tour will see a group of celebrities and business people stopping at various charities along the route to devote 67 minutes of their time to community projects.
Today in the Western Cape, Vodacom will be revamping and cleaning up the garden at the community centre in Khayelitsha by planting trees, installing drip irrigation and shade cloths for growing seedlings.
In the Eastern Cape, Vodacom will be protecting children from the sun by erecting shade cloths over the sandpit, installing basketball hoops and two goalposts to create a mini soccer field at 1000 Hills Community Centre.
On the 13th and 14th, employees will educate children on the dangers of drug and alcohol use by supervising them, preparing and judging a talent show, a motivational talk and the provision of food in Mpumalanga.
On Mandela Day, they will be in the Free State, Northern Cape, southern Gauteng and Midrand painting and installing econo-heaters to keep the children warm during these cold winter days; installing hotdog stands for the homeless children and revamping and cleaning the education centre at the Sandton SPCA to make the environment better for animals and staff.
Their campaign will end on July 19 at Waterberg Welfare Society, providing support to individuals infected and affected by HIV and Aids.