Students turn Colour Run into act of compassion

Students and staff transformed a Colour Walk and Run into a meaningful act of service by collecting and donating non-perishable food items to the Korwe Multipurpose Centre in Ga-Rankuwa, extending the spirit of Mandela Day beyond celebration and into community action.

The donations followed the Student Affairs and Extracurricular Development (SAED)  Colour Walk and Run, hosted at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Ga-Rankuwa Campus on 24 July 2026. Students took part in the event by bringing food items, combining physical activity with a community outreach initiative inspired by Ubuntu.

Korwe Multipurpose Centre, a non-profit organisation serving the Ga-Rankuwa community, received the collected donations. The centre provides a range of services, including elder care, youth development programmes and community support.

The initiative aimed to help address food insecurity while encouraging students to honour Nelson Mandela's legacy through acts of service and compassion.

Siyabonga Ntamo, SAED Public Relations Officer, said supporting communities surrounding the University is an investment in future generations.

"The children who are able to receive food from Korwe today could become future TUT students. By supporting our surrounding communities, we are contributing to the development of future scholars while responding to the challenge of food insecurity."

Ms Seanokeng Khosana, a staff member at Korwe Multipurpose Centre, thanked SAED and the students for their generosity. She said the donations would make a meaningful difference to people who rely on the centre's services.

According to Khosana, the contribution will help provide meals to vulnerable community members while bringing hope to families who depend on the centre's support.

The initiative highlighted how small individual contributions can create a significant impact when people unite behind a common purpose. By giving what they could, students demonstrated that meaningful change does not depend on large financial contributions but on collective action and a willingness to help others.

The Colour Walk and Run gave students an opportunity to celebrate Mandela Day while putting the values of compassion, service and social responsibility into action, creating benefits that will continue long after the annual 67-minute commemoration.