In the spirit of celebrating Mandela Month, MiWay Insurance continued its commitment to investing in literacy by handing over a revamped library to Moletsane High School in Soweto, on Mandela Day. It was Nelson Mandela who emphasised the importance of education to personal and national growth. MiWay endorses this belief through its MiHeart Project, which supports defined educational objectives in six schools around the country.
The MiHeart Project, MiWay’s Corporate Social Investment arm, called on MiWay’s staff and service providers to join forces to bring Mandela’s vision to life and demonstrate the role that all South Africans can play in making fundamental changes that can have long lasting benefits.
“At the base of all learning is books, those wonderful, portable sources of knowledge and inspiration that open new worlds and have the potential to change lives. What better way to encourage a culture of learning than with a completely revamped environment? We know that reading is essential for nurturing and developing young minds and is the foundation needed for all education.” says Nthabiseng Moloi, Head of Marketing & Brand at MiWay.
The library renovation project is about encouraging children to explore their boundaries by giving them a conducive environment in which they can read. The involvement of Ditau Interiors enabled MiWay’s efforts to create an inspiring reading space that will become a springboard to help the learners at Moletsane High School realise the power of reading to build brighter futures for themselves, their families and their communities beyond Mandela Day.
“It is important to read, and it is also important for us to document our stories. Each child needs to know that it’s possible. To give a child a library or access to books is to give them access to a world of information to all the possibilities that are out there. As an author and interior decorator, it only made sense to give the learners the gift that will unlock their future,” says Nthabiseng Taukobong, Director of Ditau Interiors.
A number of well-known South Africans, with Sowetan roots, joined MiWay at the school for the library handover, namely: Ziyanda Tutu, granddaughter of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu; Nthabiseng Taukobong, author and interior designer; Howard Zondo, author and motivational speaker; and Melusi Tshabalala, Everyday Zulu author.
“We believe that our contribution to Moletsane High School goes to the core of Nelson Mandela’s belief in the power of education and united efforts in building a better society. We could not have made this significant contribution without the support of our staff, the MiHeart volunteers, and service providers, who aided us with this project and continue to go out of their way so that others can live their way” says Moloi.
