In line with celebrating Mandela's legacy, the Nelson Mandela Foundation found it necessary to ensure the sustainable income generated from 466/64 Fashion is ceded to the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust.
The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust was initiated by the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund as an advocacy project to improve the health care of Southern African children. The capital campaign to build the hospital is currently under way, and to date R550m has been raised towards the R1bn target.
The decision to direct income from the world-class fashion brand to the Hospital Trust comes out of the identification of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust as a core legacy project and Mandela's lasting wish for the children of Southern Africa.
"We are honoured that 466/64 Fashion is going to contribute to our collective effort to build this children's healthcare facility," says Sibongile Mkhabela, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust. "It will help us significantly in our effort to build a state-of-the-art specialist paediatric, academic and tertiary referral hospital that provides best quality medical services to our children, irrespective of their social and economic status."
"We are delighted to see that, after the loss of our founder, the spirit and legacy of Mr Nelson Mandela is being nurtured and supported by Seardel Brand ID, and we are confident that supporting the hospital project is in keeping with Mr Mandela's belief that a children's hospital will be a credible demonstration of the commitment of African leaders to place the rights of children at the forefront," says Sello Hatang, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
This move comes at an exciting time with 466/64 Fashion announcing that agreements have been signed to launch the brand into several European countries, the United Kingdom and the South American market.
"466/64 Fashion has to date provided funding to open two libraries in underprivileged schools through the Mandela Day Initiative with Breadline Africa, provided support to scholars through the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and a key contributor to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory development," says Wayne Bebb, CEO of Brand Identity, a company within Seardel, which was charged with the development, design and retail of 466/64 Fashion.
"We are proud to be part of a movement that embraces Mr Mandela's legacy and passes it on to future generations," says Bebb. "Such a partnership is key for the preservation of Mr Mandela's legacy, and it shows that it is in our hands to take care of our children."
