The 18 July saw the legendary Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela celebrate his 94th birthday. We all know Mandela, very endearingly as “Madiba”, his official Xhosa clan name.

In 2011, the words posted on the official Mandela day website were: “The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so, build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. Take action; Inspire change; Make every day a Mandela Day.”

For the second year running, Adams & Adams proudly took part in the festivities and the initiative. In the four offices across South Africa, staff and partners gathered at 10h00, to hear chairman, Dario Tanziani, address the staff and lead them in song, serenading our dear “Tata” with the specially scripted “Happy Birthday Madiba” song. The Adams & Adams choir had also been practising to make the tribute exceptional.

Nicky Garnett, head of the firm’s CSI Committee says: “Over and above the festivities, at Adams & Adams we fully embrace the principles of Mandela Day. We like to take action, inspire change and work towards making each day a Mandela Day.”

During the month of July the firm challenged staff to collect dry food ingredients for the learners at Vuka’Uzenzele Primary School in Nellmapius, Pretoria East.

The school currently has 1480 learners, 39 educators and 21 support staff, including cleaners, cooks, gardeners and a guard. As many as 50% of the learners (Gr 0 – Gr 7) only eat one meal a day - this is provided by the school. Through the Adams & Adams canned food drive the partners and staff donated tinned fish, samp and mielie meel for use by the school. The Spar at Glenfair Shopping Centre in Pretoria kindly assisted by generously donating funds towards this canned food campaign.

Sixty four volunteers from Adams & Adams also took part in a cleaning up exercise at the school, whereby the eight bathrooms at the school were all stripped, cleaned and repainted; with plumbing also being repaired to ensure a hygienic and pleasant environment for the educators and learners at the school. Previously only one toilet worked.

Office Design Contracts (Pty) Ltd (ODC), based in Pretoria, assisted with the initiative by repairing all the plumbing in the bathrooms and taps around the premises. In giving back to the Community, ODC generously contributed 50% of their work undertaken.

KaGare Construction ( a member of the Azdec Group) a concern providing general building requirements, also took part in the spirit of the initiative by providing their services and paint at significantly reduced rates to assist with the stripping, preparation and painting of the cloakrooms.

Parents and teachers from Vuka’ Uzenzele also did their bit by contributing to the painting and cleaning efforts on Mandela Day.

Garnett says: “We believe this feeding and maintenance initiative at Vuka’Uzenzele is befitting of the Mandela Day initiative and we are committed to work with Vuka’Uzenzele to improve the lives of the children at the school.”

Contact Nicky Garnett – head of Adams & Adams CSI Committee
012 432 6000