Mandela Day 2025: Imagination Stations Bring Hope to Witkoppen Clinic

23 September 2025

This Mandela Day, Rare Diseases South Africa (RDSA) set out to honour Madiba’s enduring belief in the power of education by launching a heartfelt initiative: Imagination Stations, vibrant mini-libraries designed to spark hope, creativity, and learning in under-resourced communities.

What Are Imagination Stations?

Imagination Stations are colourful, welcoming spaces filled with donated books and bookshelves, offering children and their parents a safe and inspiring place to escape, imagine, and learn while waiting for treatments and appointments. These stations are especially meaningful for children with rare diseases or disabilities, who often face long waiting hours and feelings of isolation at health facilities.

Mandela’s Legacy in Action

As Nelson Mandela famously said,

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Inspired by this vision, RDSA called on individuals, corporates, and communities to help us create these nurturing spaces in special needs schools and community health clinics across South Africa.

The Bookdrive: A Community Effort

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, our recent bookdrive was a resounding success! We received a wonderful array of new and gently used books in multiple languages, as well as branded bookshelves sponsored by caring companies. Many donors added personal messages of encouragement inside the books, spreading even more love and support.

Handover to Witkoppen Clinic

We are thrilled to announce that this morning, on 23 September 2025, the first Imagination Station, complete with bookshelves and a diverse collection of books, was officially handed over to Witkoppen Clinic. The joy and excitement on the faces of the children and staff were truly heartwarming. This new mini-library will serve as a beacon of hope and learning for everyone who visits the clinic.

A special thank you to Olympus for donating all the bookshelves and for Shanna Hiemstra from Olympus for being there for the hand-over.

Thank You for Making a Difference

Although this particular bookdrive has now concluded, the impact will be felt for years to come. Every book, every shelf, and every word of encouragement helps to nurture hope, creativity, and cognitive development—one child, one family, and one community at a time.

If you’d like to get involved or collaborate with us, please contact us at hello@rarediseases.co.za or call 072 476 7552.

Together, we can make every minute and every page count. Thank you for helping us honour Madiba’s legacy and bring the gift of imagination to those who need it most.