Workers, homeless get a treat

‘‘AS WE celebrate the centenary of the birth of this extraordinary ordinary man, the greatest tribute we could pay him, would be to emulate his humanity,” said Leah Tutu.

The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation’s staff and participants in the Foundation’s Youth@Work Programme, fanned out across Cape Town to spread love and laughter and commemorate the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela.

From 10am yesterday, 90 cleaning staff at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital were treated to a high tea. They enjoyed cake, snacks and a bit of a rest. Some of the Youth@Work participants pampered the cleaners with massages.

Maria Kaled said she had worked as a cleaner at the hospital for 34 years.

Originally from Upington, she said the staff, children and their parents have become her family.

“It’s a pleasure for me to work with the kids, I enjoy it. I’ve learnt a lot over these years, I’ve seen all different sickness.

“I’m very involved with the kids and they love me. If I’m on leave and come back, they say, ‘Aunty Maria, where have you been, we missed you’.

“I made a new family, and a big family.”

She said the children kept her motivated even when under pressure.

“Sometimes I want to leave this work because of the pressure, but the next day I will feel another way – the kids give me more life,” she said.

“Papa Mandela, we miss him. He isn’t with us today, but his memory is still with us,” she said.

Youth@Work team leader Simbulele Maka said they had decided to treat the cleaners whose efforts sometimes go without much thanks.

“We decided that we will treat the cleaners at Red Cross, some of them are new, and some have been here for a long time. We treated them to a high tea: coffee, juice, cake and muffins. We decided to appreciate them and tell them how grateful we are to have them, because nothing would work without them. The hospital is clean because of them,” she said.

Through the Youth@Work programme, Maka said participants had the opportunity to work with communities and bring hope.

“It’s nice to know you making someone happy because of a little thing that you did, that is the legacy that he (Mandela) is leaving behind.

“It’s not just one day and this moment. It carries on. We try by all means to be humans with nice hearts, to care for people and help people,” she said.

The foundation also distributed lunch packs to about 500 homeless on the Grand Parade yesterday, where Mandela made his first speech after being released from prison.

At SOS Children’s Villages in Thornton, mothers and caregivers were treated to a high tea while a group of Youth@ Work participants tidied the garden.

Foundation staff also visited Nazareth House.