TEARS Calls on Cape Town to Give 67 Minutes This Mandela Day

After a rough few months of storms and flooding, TEARS Animal Rescue is finally welcoming volunteers back on the premises for Mandela Day.

It's a simple ask: 67 minutes of your time in honour of the 67 years Nelson Mandela gave fighting for social justice.

Making a difference can be as big as that or as simple as offering a little over an hour doing something real for animals who don't have a voice of their own.

This year, that time matters more than usual.

The recent weather challenges left notable damage around the property.

The three projects on offer this Mandela Day were chosen specifically to help repair that damage and get the shelter back on track.

The Painting Project

The Painting Project is about brightening up spaces that have taken a battering, with volunteers adding a fresh coat of paint to kennels and the cattery.

It's straightforward work that will go a long way toward making the shelter feel less institutional and more like a place animals can settle into while they wait for forever homes.

The Gardening Project

The Gardening Project is focused on replanting trees and pet-friendly flowers as well as rebuilding outdoor areas that the storms disrupted.

Enrichment matters for all animals, but it’s even more important for rescues.

Having safe, green spaces to explore makes a real difference to their day-to-day wellbeing.

The Cleaning Project

The Cleaning Project is the most hands-on of the three: storm clean-up, deep-cleaning the puppy areas, and general kennel maintenance, all in preparation for the cattery's move down to Lekkerwater.

It's perhaps less glamorous than painting or planting, but it's every bit as rewarding.

Perhaps even more so, as it’s often the menial tasks that keep a shelter running.

"The storms hit us hard, but Mandela Day has always reminded us what's possible when a community comes together. Every hour of painting, planting or cleaning goes straight back into making life better for the animals in our care," says TEARS Operations Manager, Mandy Store.

How To Get Involved

Getting involved is easy.

The public is invited to do their part at TEARS on July 18.

Register for R200 per person and TEARS supplies all materials and equipment needed on the day, no experience or gear required.

Bring friends, family, colleagues or neighbours, or come along solo for a day of hands-on community action.

Corporate teams looking to give back together can book a dedicated slot on July 17.

Packages for up to 8 people are available at R7,000 per group, which includes a Section 18A tax certificate for the donation.

Whether you're wielding a paintbrush, digging in the garden or scrubbing down a kennel, the result is the same: cleaner, safer, more enriching spaces for the dogs and cats to hang out while they wait to be adopted.

Spots are limited, so early registration is encouraged.

To pledge your 67 minutes, register on the TEARS website at https://www.tears.org.za/mandela-day-6n7-project/ or find the link via TEARS' Instagram bio.

Make this Mandela Day count.

Give your 67 minutes and help TEARS rebuild.