Spring cleaning benefits everyone

Living out the value of ubuntu

You ignore it for days, weeks, months even … the reality that your wardrobe, cupboard, room is a mess and in desperate need of a spring clean.

But when you finally get to it and complete the task, you feel so much better. The health professionals have a scientific explanation for this feel-good factor, thanks to the release of endorphins, but the endorphins are only a third of it.

You see your revamped wardrobe, cupboard, room or whatever it is, also looks great.

Now Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) wants to take these two factors – you and your wardrobe are both better off than you were before – and improve matters even further.

NMMU wants your spring cleaning efforts to benefit the lives of others.

So enter Hangout4ubuntu – NMMU’s shared response to living out its value of Ubuntu.

Simply put, Ubuntu is about recognising our fellow man; being compassionate and ensuring that our caring is not confined, but shared.

That’s what NMMU will be endeavouring to do on Wednesday 1 October.

In a visual display of this value, staff and students will be pegging donated clothing (the spoils of their spring clean) onto the wire fencing alongside the road leading to our North Campus. That’s a 400m stretch.

The idea is that staff and students arriving for work and lectures will see this washing line of donated clothing and be inspired to go home, spring clean and support the initiative, or some other similar project.

After all, as you have read, spring cleaning is good all round.

NMMU’s efforts will benefit the recipients of six charities from throughout the city. These charities are:

• Oosterland Child and Youth Care Centre

Providing quality Child Care Services to children in need of care

• Algoa Frail Care Centre

Providing world-class quality care in a supportive and accommodating environment through a holistic multi-disciplinary team approach.

• Cheshire Homes Cleary Park 

Providing support services in partnership with persons with disabilities, which empower service users and enhance their quality of life.

• Enkuselweni Secure Youth Centre 

Providing a secure space to young people awaiting trial

• Angel Network

Catering for the needs of people in areas struck by disaster

• Healing Hands

Offering hope to people in need

But there’s more …

More will be shared on this project by NMMU staff and students, but in the interim you might be encouraged to learn that the new Madibaz Radio has challenged each of its 80 volunteers to donate at least two items of clothing. That’s already 160 items of clothing to others in need – and a great kick-start to cleaning up and cleaning out, and feeling so much better after a job well done.

Come on, let’s spread that spring-cleaning feeling for the benefit of all.