2011

Nelson Mandela Day Fundraising Dinner held on 18 July 2011

Mr. Tito Mboweni, Chairman of the Fundraising Committee of the
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund

The South African Embassy, in conjunction with the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, organized a dinner to raise funds for the construction of the future Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital.

The event took place at the Pestana Palace Hotel, in Lisbon, on 18 July 2011, coinciding with Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday. The Chairman of the Fundraising Committee is Mr. Tito Mboweni, the former Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, delivered the keynote address on behalf of the fund.

Ambassador Matthews with Mr Tito Mboweni and Ms Maria João Silveira from RTP Africa, who co-hosted the event

One of Nelson Mandela's wishes has been that South Africa should be able to offer the children of South Africa, Southern Africa, and indeed Africa, a state of the art children's hospital. It is his belief that such an institution must be of the highest excellence in standards and care, focus on specialist paediatric medicine and training, receive academic and tertiary referrals, be child centered and provide medical services to children across Africa irrespective of their social and economic status.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund as an institution and Mrs. Graça Machel (Chairperson - Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust) were personally entrusted to materialize Nelson Mandela's wish.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust, through the assistance of the South African Embassy in Portugal, has formed a strategic partnership with the São João Hospital's Children Wing.

Special video messages from Mr. Nelson Mandela and Mrs. Graça Machel were shown to guests at the dinner.

A lithograph depicting Nelson Mandela delivering his first speech in 27 years on the day of his release from prison on 11 February 1990, by documentary photographer and artist Chris Ledochowski, was also auctioned as well as two books on Nelson Mandela.

Guests were entertained by the talented 8-year-old South African drummer, Daniel Petersen III, by Cape Verde's Celina Pereira and Mozambique's Vânia Oliveira.