Durban — In celebration of International Nelson Mandela Day, the KwaZulu-Natal International Business Association (Kiba) embarked on a Winter Warmth Project for the community of Inanda on Tuesday.
Over the last few years, Kiba has adopted pockets of communities on the North Coast, providing immediate and long-term relief in times of natural disaster and desperate times of need.
One of the flagship projects by Kiba has been the renovation and refurbishment of the Inanda Clinic. Once the heartbeat of the community, this satellite clinic was left in extreme deterioration over the years due to vandalism and neglect.
Last year, members of Kiba stepped in and renovated the quaint little building into a fully functional clinic, used by the Department of Health to provide much-needed medical assistance to the community which is not able to get to mainstream clinics and hospitals easily.
For Mandela Day 2023, Kiba partnered with the internationally recognised NPO, the Al-Imdaad Foundation, and popular local eatery Copper Chimney, as well as WOA and ACT Foundation, all of whom are proud Kiba members in the 2023 International Nelson Mandela Day Winter Warmth Project.
The Al-Imdaad Foundation has provided 100 blankets to members of the community, 20 walking sticks, 50 hygiene packs to teenage girls and 50 beanie hats to the young.
Omie Singh, the president of Kiba, said he was proud to come together, engage and remember Nelson Mandela’s vision to fight poverty and create peace, reconciliation and cultural diversity.
“I hope our presence and providing this gesture for our people is in line with what Madiba would have wanted us to do in his remembrance,” Singh said.
Other Kiba members and sponsors included Pria Hassan of WOA, with meal sponsorship; Oumesh Harisunker of Paperhouse Pty Ltd, with blankets; and Sulosh Pillay of ACT Foundation, with sanitary hygiene packs.
Fellow Kiba member Dr Lungelo Gumede, a renowned sculptor and artist famous for his Mandela wax statue collection, brought along two life-size statues to commemorate the day.
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Daily News