For South Africans, Heritage Day is a day to honour the vibrant and diverse nation in which they live. It is a day filled with festivities to celebrate the culturally rich heritage of South Africa and its people.
This year, Heritage Day also marked the official opening of Thanda’s Community Centre. In honour of the occasion, our staff organized a beautiful event for Thanda students and their families. After months of preparing, the day culminated in a series of performances by staff members and students, and everyone listened attentively as the Chief gave a speech to denote the official opening ceremony.
Following the ceremony, everyone joined in on the Heritage Day festivities that were simultaneously taking place on a soccer field nearby. Thousands of community members showed up to spend time with one another and watch as various groups from the community sang, played music, and performed traditional Zulu dances.
Words don’t really do this day justice. Our staff organized every minute detail – from providing food for the thousands of people in attendance to coordinating transportation for people to get to and from the venue. Although the celebrations and performances were awe-inspiring, what was more astounding was the overwhelming sense of community and togetherness that permeated the air. So many people came together to simply be together and celebrate – it’s amazing to think that it was all made possible by our staff.