MES launches Restoring Dignity campaign for Mandela Month 2025

The campaign invites South Africans to actively participate in restoring dignity to the country’s most vulnerable communities.

Operating in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Kempton Park, MES is using Mandela month to tackle issues at the heart of urban poverty: food insecurity, homelessness, lack of sanitation, and barriers to education. MES currently provides over 532 safe beds nightly across the country at an average cost of R150 per bed

An estimated 60% of urban families face daily indignities caused by poverty, lack of access, and social exclusion. MES is addressing this through targeted interventions across five focus areas:

• Education and literacy: MES is calling for donations of books, uniforms, and stationery, as well as volunteers to offer reading mentorship, skills workshops, and career guidance.

• Food and nutrition: With one in five families going hungry daily, the campaign supports community kitchens, food sponsorships, and nutrition education.

• Shelter: With over 532 beds provided each night, MES continues to fight rising homelessness by offering temporary and long-term housing solutions.

• Sanitisation: Clean water and hygiene facilities are essential to dignity. Support is needed for hygiene kits, clean-up efforts, and maintenance of shelter bathrooms.

• Active citizenship: The campaign urges South Africans to go beyond donations – encouraging leadership, advocacy, and servant-led community engagement.

The Restoring Dignity campaign runs from 1 July to 2 August, with each week focusing on a different theme, from food security to active citizenship. Participants can, volunteer, donate at their nearest MES shelter or share their stories using the hashtag #MESMandelaMonth to inspire others.

Whether you donate a book, sponsor a meal, clean a street, or mentor a child, your effort contributes to restoring dignity – one act at a time.

Let’s make Mandela Month a movement. Join here https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/89ESaL83t5 and act today. For more information, visit www.mes.org.za.