South Africa – Durban

Engaging with a local football club and preparing sandwiches for Buffelsdraai

As part of the 2023 Mandela Day Initiative, Aspen Holdings (“Aspen”) sponsored a local football club (“FC”) with kit and sports equipment.

Emmanuel Khumalo, President of Real Punishers FC­­ in KwaMashu, South Africa, first reached out to Aspen in February for assistance with drawstring bags for match days. Since then, Aspen’s socio-economic development Committee has engaged with the FC to establish how we can provide further assistance.

On Monday, 17 July, Aspen hosted 25 of the FC players and coaches at the Group’s headquarters in Durban. The FC was eager to get involved in Mandela Day activities, and the boys were invited to join Aspen employees in making sandwiches for the homeless. The sandwiches were donated to Durban NGO, Hands for Hearts, and distributed by Jump Youth Mission, who shared them with the community of Buffelsdraai. After a lunch of burgers and chips, kindly sponsored by Eatfresh, the kit and equipment, which was discounted by Linton Enterprises, was handed over.

There was much excitement and many smiles. The boys sang songs of gratitude and then headed off to get ready for their first day of Term 3 at school.