A volunteer at the Hibberdene Mercury Children's Home helps a child brighten up their day during the Mandela Day celebrations held on Tuesday. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
In a heart-warming celebration of Mandela Day, The Mercury Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home recently received a flurry of support from Independent Media, Durban Halaal Meats, Al-Imdaad Foundation Durban, Spar, and Pick n Pay.
Located in the serene coastal town of Hibberdene, “The Mercury” Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home offers a safe and nurturing environment for underprivileged children. It provides them with an opportunity to escape their daily challenges and enjoy a wholesome holiday experience. However, maintaining the home and ensuring that the children’s needs are met requires continuous support from the community.
Recognising this need, the combined efforts of these organisations resulted in the donation of warm blankets and a variety of food packages, ensuring the children’s comfort and nourishment during their stay at the holiday home.
Independent Media’s CSI manager Sameera Kareem said the day was filled with fun activities for the children.
“This Mandela Day Initiative 2024 at The Mercury Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home was truly unforgettable!
As the CSI Manager, I am incredibly grateful and thrilled to have co-ordinated this special day. We welcomed 88 children for a day filled with joy, activities, games, entertainment, lunch, and cake.”
The day began with a ceremonial handover, where representatives who were present personally delivered the donations. The atmosphere was electric with excitement as the children eagerly awaited the distribution of the blankets, goodie bags and food packages. Each child received a cosy blanket to snuggle up in during the cooler evenings and a goodie bag.
“Witnessing the smiles and laughter of these children, as they enjoyed painting their faces and received amazing goodie bags, fills me with immense happiness and a sense of accomplishment. A heartfelt thank you to all our generous donors and sponsors whose support made this day possible. Together, we have created lasting memories for these wonderful kids.”
The day was not just about the donation of goods; it was also filled with engaging activities designed to bring joy to the children. The home organised a series of fun events, including face painting and outdoor games.
The children’s laughter and smiles were a testament to the success of the day’s activities.
“In addition to all the fun, the home was also gifted blankets by our very own marketing team of Independent Media to make the holiday stay for these kids even cosier. Thank you once again to everyone who contributed to this remarkable day,” said Kareem.
The Mercury Hibberdene Children’s Holiday Home life skills facilitator, Sherlock Sithole said the home was established in 1930 and he has been with the home since 2015. “It has been a fantastic experience in terms of how we enrich children and make a difference in their lives and also partner with schools in terms of providing activities that help children with learning challenges that they may have.”
“What we have been doing for years is to ensure that children from orphanages or areas where there are a lot of challenges for children, enjoy a free holiday, usually during Easter, winter and a Christmas camp.”
“Sometimes we have an air drive for creches where we collect toys and go to the villages, mainly in Umthwalume and donate them to ensure that children get involved in activities that will help with stimulation and cognitive development,” said Sithole.
The Mercury