“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” ~ Nelson Mandela

At the heart of Mandela Day lies the desire to uplift and inspire ordinary people to do good with the means they have. The hope is that all these small acts of kindness, will snowball into a global movement of good that impacts communities all over the world. As a farm with deep roots in the local communities, we have a responsibility not only to serve those around us, but also to inspire our staff and guests to serve in their communities too.

This year, we’re taking the time to honour the elderly in our community. The pillars of strength, who have done far more than their share to provide support for their families and the broader community during these trying times.

With the help of our internal teams, local soup kitchens, Old Bethlehem Farm and Boschendal Wines, we set out to identify and serve 67 elderly individuals that are pillars of strength in their communities. In order to thank and further encourage them in their efforts to lessen the COVID-19 burden on their families, we’ve put together homemade care packages that our passionate volunteers delivered on Friday, 17 July 2020.

The care packages are a small “thank you” for the significant impact these individuals have had on those around them. We included a few essentials like masks and hand sanitiser to help keep them safe, some baked goodies and hearty venison pies that will bring some warmth to the winter.

We hope that this token of appreciation will go a long way in encouraging the elderly to continue imparting their wisdom and guiding the younger generations in such a time of uncertainty.