South Africa, 29 June 2026: For Mandela Day 2026, Ladles of Love is inviting businesses, families, friends, religious communities, schools, and community groups across South Africa to become Hands-On Heroes by hosting their own Mandela Day give-back event between anytime between 17 and 31 July 2026.
Through its Create Your Own Hands-On Hero option, Ladles of Love has made it possible for groups outside Gauteng and the Western Cape (where in-person events are taking place) to take part in a practical, already planned Mandela Day activity without having to build an initiative from scratch.
The concept is simple. Groups book their kits, gather their people and give 67 minutes of service. Ladles of Love delivers the Create Your Own Hands-On Hero kits nationwide. Once completed, the kits will be collected and redistributed to preschool children supported through the Ladles of Love Nourish Our Children Programme.
In the spirit of ubuntu, President Nelson Mandela called on South Africans with the words: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all our children.”
Ladles of Love is asking people across the country to answer that call with their hands.
“Mandela Day should not feel out of reach because you are not near one of the main event venues,” says Danny Diliberto, Founder of Ladles of Love. “We wanted to create a way for people anywhere in South Africa to take part in something organised, useful and deeply needed. The planning is done. The kits are ready. People simply need to gather, give their 67 minutes and know that what they make will reach children who need support.”
The Create Your Own option is especially useful for companies looking for a meaningful Mandela Day employee engagement activity across regional offices, factories, branches and distributed teams. It gives businesses a clear way to involve staff, build a shared sense of purpose and contribute to a campaign with direct community impact.
“Many people want to do something good on Mandela Day, but they do not always know where to begin,” says Diliberto. “This gives them a place to begin. It is simple, it is hands-on, and it connects their time directly to children.”
Each Create Your Own Hands-On Hero kit costs R400, with a minimum booking of 10 kits. Groups can host their event anytime between 17 and 31 July 2026.
The completed items will be collected afterwards and distributed to preschool children in under-resourced communities through Ladles of Love’s Nourish Our Children Programme, which supports early childhood nutrition and care for over 15,500 children and their teachers.
For businesses, the message is clear. Mandela Day does not have to be difficult to organise to be meaningful. Teams can take part from their own premises, at a time that works for them, with an activity that is already planned and ready to go.
For families and friends, it is a way to turn 67 minutes into something tangible.
For religious establishments, schools and community groups, it is a chance to gather around and take action to create a better world for all children.
This Mandela Day, South Africans do not need to ask how they can help and where they fit in. They can create their own Hands-On Hero event. They can give 67 minutes. They can help nurture children who need our country to show up for them.
Create Your Own Hands-On Hero details:
Event dates: 17 to 31 July 2026
Minimum booking: 10 kits
Cost: R400 per kit including courier.
Kits are delivered before your event and collected afterwards.
Completed kits are redistributed to preschool children through the Ladles of Love Nourish Our Children Programme, or you can drop them off at a preschool in need of your choice.
Bookings and information: LadlesofLove.org.za
Issued by: The Lime Envelope
On behalf of: Ladles of Love
For media information: Kerry Oliver
Telephone: 082 927 9470
Email: [email protected]
About Ladles of Love
Ladles of Love is a South African non-profit organisation founded by Danny Diliberto in 2014. What began as a small soup kitchen in Cape Town has grown into a national movement, which has delivered over 48 million meals to vulnerable people since 2020. Today, the organisation focuses on supporting preschool education with good nutrition, whilst uplifting and resourcing principals and teachers through skills development and training. Ladles of Love Mandela Day Hands-On Events give the public a direct, organised way to volunteer and hand-make items to help feed and nurture our future leaders.