Johannesburg- Heritage Day is a day of celebration, unity, and togetherness.
It is a day that brings to light the cultural wealth of our nation, by celebrating our various traditions and beliefs.
While we acknowledge and remember the difficulties and hardships of the past, it is also a time to share the victories of the present and raise hope for the future.
Building towards a better future
On Saturday,18 September, Christel House South Africa in partnership with four other schools, Die Duine Primary, Mzamomtsha Primary, Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School and St Cyprian’s School, hosted a unique Derby Day event as part of their annual Simunye Project.
Now in its 2nd year, the aim of the project is to reduce wealth inequality within South Africa by forging long-lasting relationships between students and schools from various ends of the wealth spectrum.
The event, which hosted 300 Grade 6 & 7 students from various schools took place at the St Cyprians sports field in Oranjezicht, where they took part in activities and ended the day off with an exhilarating trip up the Table Mountain Cableway.
Each activity was designed to find a common ground between the students and concluded with them signing a pledge card in which they commit to nation-building.
“My highlight of the Derby Day event was making new friends and realizing just how much we have in common,” said Zia, a Grade 6 Christel House SA student.
Giving Back to those volunteering on the frontlines
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, our lives have been disrupted in profound and unprecedented ways.
Luckily, with the vaccine drive picking up speed in the Western Cape, things are looking to return to some semblance of normality in the near future.
“It’s hard to imagine anyone working for free in this day and age, so it’s been amazing to experience first-hand the humanity and generosity displayed by these volunteers.”
“We rarely get to showcase the individuals who work behind the scenes and for the Table Mountain Cableway Company (TMACC) to acknowledge that, is truly appreciated,” said Dr Shaheem De Vries, head of the Western Cape Government Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
De Vries explained the importance of showing their appreciation for the frontline team this Heritage Day.
“With the EMS Vaccine Centre closing at the end of the month, we wanted to make their Heritage Day weekend a special one and are pleased to be able to offer them this exciting opportunity of taking the cable car up the mountain, who for some of them, is a once in a lifetime experience.”
Wahida Parker, Managing Director of TMACC had the following to say of the volunteers.
“Their selfless commitment towards the greater community has helped many people through these challenging times, and we want them to know that their efforts have not been in vain.”
“They have done so much for the people of Cape Town and giving them the opportunity to experience the mountain via the cableway is just a small gesture to show our appreciation and gratitude.”
Local Legacy Offer
As part of their Heritage Month celebrations, TMACC will be running a Local Legacy Campaign where children and adults with valid South African IDs can enjoy discounted cableway tickets until 24 September 2021.
“Table Mountain – originally named Hoerikwaggo, meaning ‘mountain in the sea’ by the Khoisan people – belongs to everyone and should act as a reminder for all of us to celebrate our heritage as a nation, one that is filled with culture, tradition and diversity.”
“We cannot think of a better place for South Africans to enjoy Heritage Month and we hope this campaign encourages them to do so,” says Parker.
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