Spreading the message of Mandela Day

The objectives of Mandela Day continue to be supported and implemented through various projects on an ongoing basis, ensuring that the world becomes a better place, one step at a time.

Michael with some of the children he has been assisting

And in this spirit, and inspired by Nelson Mandela and the message of Mandela Day, Michael Teoh is in South Africa on a mission to improve the lives of others.

In his mid-20s, Michael is a world ambassador for the Your Big Year initiative, which seeks to promote global citizenship and entrepreneurship. He is on an international expedition, encouraging volunteerism among the youth and aiming to be a positive influence in the lives of others by spreading a message of collective responsibility.

Michael, from Malaysia, is currently based in the Cape Town area, where he is working with young orphans, assisting at HIV/Aids care homes and teaching underprivileged children in rural areas.

“I would like to dedicate my entire month of volunteering activities in South Africa to Nelson Mandela Day,” he says.

“I have volunteered on more than 20 projects since January, journeying from one continent to the next. I have been involved with humanitarian aid and development projects across South America; participated in and spoken at global conferences in North America and Europe; and most recently, I found myself volunteering in environmental and wildlife conservation projects here in Africa.”

South Africa is his second stop in Africa, after doing volunteer work in Zimbabwe.

Michael won the right to become an ambassador for the Your Big Year initiative after seeing off competition from 45 000 people from 168 countries

Michael indeed embodies the message that Mandela Day seeks to spread: a call to action to take responsibility for making the world a better place.