The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa will once again donate all profits from the tournament to the fundraising effort being made to realise one of the former South African President’s dreams of building a children’s hospital.
Mr Mandela was passionate about providing world-class healthcare to the children of Southern Africa through a state-of-the-art facility – the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital honours Mr Mandela’s life-long commitment to children. In his words, this hospital will be a “credible demonstration of the commitment of African leaders to place the rights of children at the forefront”.
Established in 2012, the Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa raised money for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust, one of the key initiatives undertaken by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund – the charity which aims to support impoverished children and youths from birth to the age of 22. Other projects include: Sport for Good; Youth for Change; Child Protection and Safety and Nurturing.
This week’s tournament, as it did at the inaugural event last year, will donate all profits through sponsorship revenue, ticket sales and a special Pro-Am auction, to the Trust, which recently reached the fundraising total of R250 million (South African Rand) – half of the total required to start building what will be Africa’s largest children’s hospital.
The origins of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust trace back to a concept paper drawn by Children’s Fund CEO Sibongile Mkhabela. Consideration of the concept paper by Mr Mandela and his wife, Mrs Graça Machel, led to their endorsement of the concept.
Further consideration of the concept by the Board of Trustees of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund saw it adopting a resolution giving the proposed Children’s Hospital Special Project Status on November 17, 2005.
Added support came from luminaries such as Archbishop Emiritus Tutu, Dr John Howe, President of Project Hope in the USA, women’s business pioneer Ms Wendy Luhabe, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Professor Mohale Mahanyele, Bishop Joe Seoka, Archbishop Buti Thlagale, Archbishop Ndanga Phaswane, and the National and Gauteng Health departments.
The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust was registered in August 2009, and Mrs Graça Machel appointed its Chairperson soon afterwards.
You can find details of how to donate to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Trust at the following address:http://www.nelsonmandelachildrenshospital.org/donate-now/
