This year, in the spirit of ubuntu NPO Ladles of Love, are aiming to break another world record on 18 July - “The largest number of volunteers paying to spend 67 minutes on Mandela Day in service to grow children in need”.

They are inviting the public to participate in their biggest fundraising event to date. In one day, Ladles of Love has one goal - raise R5 million for food with one love, to nourish 5,500+ small children in impoverished communities. By purchasing a ticket, you commit to spending 67 minutes in active service making items to help nurture and grow little ones at pre-school centers and shelters.

South African Child Gauge, a 2020 study on nutrition and food security, describes malnutrition in children as “slow violence”. “It would take a powerful malevolent force to inflict havoc on a child in the way that malnutrition does. Let’s put it plainly, malnutrition systematically destroys a child: it damages their chances of survival, their cognitive development, their immune system, their bone and muscle structure and their livelihood prospects,” says Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.

Concerned citizens, corporate companies, and young students all over the world are requested to be social change-makers and secure tickets now for International Mandela Day on Thursday 18 July.  

To book simply visit webtickets.co.za and select ticket options for time slots at one of the flagship events to be held at V&A Waterfront’s Lookout venue and Johannesburg at Constitution Hill, Braamfontein - or ‘Create your own event’ anywhere in the world!

Choose a volunteering activity: 

• SANDWICH MAKING - Spread sandwiches with love for children at snack time.
• BUCKETS OF HOPE - layer dry foods for cooks to prepare children’s daily hot meals and bread.
• BOOK MAKING/WALL ART - create and collate books or decorate wall art to help develop children’s minds and imaginations.
• CRAFT/SOFT TOYS - craft, make, decorate toys for fine-motor skills development and wellness of small children..
• PACK NUTRITION BOXES – Sort and fill boxes with food cans and essential cooking ingredients.
• EDIBLE GARDEN KITS - create edible garden kits ready to educate, grow and feed children in need.

Danny Diliberto, Ladles of love Founder and CEO : I appeal to you as global citizens to join us in creating a better world for our children, these are our future leaders and they need our help to be the best they can be.  Let’s roll up our sleeves and be the change we want to see in our world by paying to spend 67 minutes in service to these little ones and enable them grow as they should.

As a PBO, Ladles of Love is qualified to issue a section 18A Tax certificates to all individuals and companies contributing to this campaign as every ticket of R200 is deemed a donation and will provide 40 meals for a child in need.

For more information: Visit LadlesofLove.org.za or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. To find out more about how to participate visit our website: ladlesoflove.org.za/mandela-day-2024/

Media Queries:
Cape Town
Heads Up Communications
Candice Jansen
Cell: 0769589593 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Johannesburg
The BUZ Hive
Bridget van Oerle
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 0832636991 

Flo Mokale
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | 0783110492

Notes for editors:

Ladles of Love 

Ladles of Love is a non-profit organisation primarily providing daily nutrition to children one – six years old via a network of under-resourced Early Childhood Development Centres  in impoverished communities across the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. The project is the brainchild of Danny Diliberto, who started his first soup kitchen in 2014 serving hundreds of homeless people in Cape Town, nutritious meals every week. 

During the Covid-pandemic the organisation grew exponentially, to be one of the largest non-profit providers of food relief in South Africa.  Between March 2020 and April 2024 Ladles of Love has procured and provided food to serve over 43 million meals to vulnerable people from 200 community soup kitchens. 

Today Ladles of Love’s programmes are committed to uplifting communities through nutrition - focusing primarily on early childhood nutrition; feeding city homeless communities; food security and enterprise development - relying solely on funding and donations.