In March 2022, actress Nomzamo Mbatha together with the Cotton On Foundation embarked on a rebuilding project at a local school in KwaMashu in Durban, Dr JL Dube High School. In celebration of Mandela Day, they got to showcase how they lived up to their promise.
“It’s in your hands, let’s plant our schools green”
Marking ten years since the death of former president Nelson Mandela, the campaign was dubbed “It’s in your hands, let’s plant our schools green”. TshisaLIVE, together with Nomzamo, Miss SA 2018 Tamryn Green and other influencers got their hands dirty planting the first batch of trees.
Planting Trees
With the aim of planting trees in schools, the Cotton On Foundation raised and donated sufficient funds to plant 85,000 trees as part of the Kruger to Canyons, Blyde Expansion Restoration Pilot in Mpumalanga.
Image: Supplied
Nomzamo’s Investment
“I’m very invested in this because it’s such a holistic programme. I don’t do a lot of things for free, this is the truest calling of my life, and knowing that we are building a school in my hometown and being part of the legacy,” Nomzamo said.
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Nomzamo has become a beacon of hope for many people in Mzansi — particularly young people from KwaMashu. She commutes between the US and Africa pursuing the arts and making a change. With the school project, Nomzamo introduced a special drama project to help inform and educate people about the arts.
Investing in the Arts
“We want to make sure that every single child who has different interests feels that the school has the facilities that can support that. The art has been a very liberating thing that I was able to hold onto outside the circumstances that I was coming out of in Kwa Mashu. It was the outlet that gave me hope, so we definitely want to invest in the arts, and that’s a personal commitment from myself with the foundation. I can always pursue the Hollywood dream but I can also pursue the African dream,” Nomzamo said.
Image: Supplied
Iconic Art Piece
Award-winning local artist Marc-Gregory designed an iconic art piece to create excitement around the campaign. He also vowed to empower pupils with his skills. The artist handed over a print of the art piece to the school’s headmaster, Sipho Magwaza, to celebrate the planting of the trees and to serve as a memory of the day.