Mould Empower Serve (MES), a non-profit organisation with nearly four decades of experience in community upliftment, has launched its Mandela Month 2025 campaign under the theme “Restoring Dignity”.

This theme is aligned with the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s call to action: “It’s still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity”.

The campaign invites South Africans to actively participate in restoring dignity to the country’s most vulnerable communities.

Operating in Joburg, Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Kempton Park, the organisation is using Mandela month to tackle issues at the heart of urban poverty: food insecurity, homelessness, lack of sanitation, and barriers to education.

It currently provides over 532 safe beds nightly across the country at the average cost of R150 per bed

An estimated 60% of urban families face daily indignities caused by poverty, lack of access, and social exclusion. Here are their five focus areas:

* Education & Literacy: They ask for donations of books, uniforms, and stationery, as well as volunteers to offer reading mentorship, skills workshops, and career guidance.

* Food & Nutrition: Their campaign supports community kitchens, food sponsorships, and nutrition education.

* Shelter: They fight rising homelessness by offering temporary and long-term housing solutions.

* Sanitisation: Clean water and hygiene facilities are essential to dignity. Support is needed for hygiene kits, clean-up efforts, and maintenance of shelter bathrooms.

* Active Citizenship: The campaign urges South Africans to go beyond donations—encouraging leadership, advocacy, and servant-led community engagement.

The “Restoring Dignity” campaign runs from 01 July to 2 August, with each week focusing on a different theme—from food security to active citizenship.

People can, volunteer, donate at their nearest MES shelter or share their stories using the hashtag #MESMandelaMonth to inspire others.

Whether you donate a book, sponsor a meal, clean a street, or mentor a child, your effort contributes to restoring dignity—one act at a time.

INFO: SUPPLIED