By IANS,
Mumbai : Around 50 visually impaired children from a reputed Mumbai school Wednesday celebrated the 94th birthday of South African freedom icon Nelson Mandela with musical performances and a cake-cutting ceremony.
Organised by the Mumbai consul general of South Africa, the celebrations and revelry were also attended by a delegation of the consulate headed by Consul General Pule Malefane.
“What could have been a better way to celebrate the great visionary’s birthday, who spent most of his life in darkness to give light to South Africa,” Malefane said while celebrating the day with children of Happy Home & School for the Blind at Worli in south Mumbai.
Nelson Mandela’s birthday was declared as International Nelson Mandela Day by the United Nations in 2009.
The Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated by people across the world to commemorate the 67 years of struggle suffered by Mandela to abolish apartheid and create a free South Africa.
The celebrations at the school consisted musical performances by the visually impaired children. The festivities ended with a cake cutting ceremony wishing Mandela a long life.
Madela’s 94th birthday also marks the 67 years of his life, fighting for the rights of humanity which took South Africa onto the path of economic development. Globally, the movement asks people to gives 67 minutes of their time in supporting their chosen charity or serving their local community.
In New Delhi, the South African High Commission marked the event with ‘Motor Bikers for Madela’ – a motorbike ride from the high commission office to Rajghat.