Trading Live for Mandela Day

A brand new institutional community engagement initiative called “Trading Live for Mandela Day”  took place on Friday, 27 July 2012. In line with the central objective of Mandela Day, this project provided staff and students at Rhodes University with an opportunity ”to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good.”[1]  

The basic idea for Trading Live is that all staff and students donate 67 minutes of their time on the 27^th of July 2012 by trading their skills, talents, interests or hobbies with other interested parties in Grahamstown. Ideas included presenting a lecture or workshop or sports clinic, running a cooking or sewing or toy making class, offering a car wash or spring cleaning service, giving a musical or choir or drama performance, producing a delicious traditional cultural food dish with an explanation of why this dish is important to your culture.

The trading took place on the 27^th of July 2012 between 7h00 to 19h00, and managers and HoD were asked to allow staff tobe away from work for 67 minutes to offer their trade and 67 minutes to receive a trade.