ECR and Futurelife come together to bring about change this Mandela Day

East Coast Radio partnered with Futurelife to make a positive impact in the lives of the children at Early Childhood Development Waterloo Crisis Centre. The two brands honoured Madiba’s legacy by starting their day at the centre by serving a nutritious porridge breakfast.

Each morning, kids from the community – aged six months to five years – visit the centre to spend the day. The centre runs a day care which assists working parents who don’t have the financial means to pay for childcare.

“Mandela Month holds a very special place in the hearts of most South Africans and people really dig deep to support initiatives that provide relief, especially to those who are vulnerable. But not knowing where to start can be a big deterrent. Working as partners, Futurelife and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, are giving South Africans a quick and easy way to make a tangible difference in the lives of our children this year.” – Tshepang Motsekuoa, head of marketing for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Keegan Eichstadt, marketing manager for Futurelife, had this to say about creating this initiative with the Nelson Mandela Foundation: “Nelson Mandela said that giving children a start in life is the moral obligation of every one of us. We are involved in feeding millions of children through our partners with Hope Worldwide, but we are expanding on that, and that is why we have partnered with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to raise funds not only for this Madiba Day but for the whole year. In addition, Futurelife will contribute towards the building of an Early Childhood Development Centre with the Nelson Mandela Foundation.”

“We have made it as simple as possible for people to get involved as each Futurelife Smart Food Mandela pack features a QR code on the back, linked to a secure online donation portal, which you can scan. Alternatively, you can go online and donate a month’s worth of breakfast to a child in need at donate.futurelife.com. 100% of the funds raised will go towards helping us to reach more children with life-changing nutrition.” Keegan added.

ECR got involved on the day by preparing meals and packing food parcels for distribution for the kids to take home. The station’s breakfast team also replaced some of the broken doors at the centre and donated a gas stove and other kitchen utensils.

In helping build better communities, ECR’s partnership with Futurelife will not end today. The station reached out to its stakeholders for assistance and Hirsch’s came on board by donating a chest freezer for the centre’s kitchen.

“Every bit of getting involved and playing your part goes a long way. The ECD centres can do with some help. Whether it is by feeding the children or sacrificing your time and coming in to read a book to the children, there is always something to do. ECR saw a massive need at the centre, and we will be doing renovations that will help improve the state of the centre that is currently in.” – Tanya Davis, ECR marketing manager.

Visit www.futurelife.com for more details on how you can get involved and contribute by buying a pack of Futurelife porridge for the centre or donating cash.