The Sunday Independent

Nomzamo joins global vacinne fund-raiser

BUHLE MBONAMBI

NOMZAMO Mbatha is wearing her philanthropist hat, and has been roped in by the UN Children’s Fund and the Cotton On Foundation to help with a global vaccine fundraising campaign.

The campaign has been launched by Cotton On. Proceeds from the sale of some of their products, including masks and tote bags, are aimed at helping deliver a million Covid-19 vaccines to the world’s most vulnerable people.

We spoke to the Coming 2 America star about her philanthropic work and the role the youth can play in doing their bit to curb infections.

How did you get into philanthropy?

I started in high school. My Grade 8 teacher got me involved in a lot of societies, including Interact, where we visited old-age homes in Sydenham, Durban, bringing them gifts and helping to clean up. I was then nominated to go to Kenya, by Save the Children Sweden. They wanted us to share the problems we faced as young people.

I then got into the Youth Parliament. I grew up in KwaMashu and I was acutely aware of the socioeconomic situation my community faced. You can’t grow out of it and forget about it. My grandmother instilled in me the importance of charity work and looking after fellow members of the community.

How much time is reserved for your philanthropic work?

Oh, a lot of time. Sometimes I feel guilty because I have two big jobs – as an actress and also being a change agent. I am constantly navigating between the two.

The South African youth have been accused of not caring enough about what’s happening in the country. Is that a fair statement?

The statement is fair. It’s easy to (become) apathetic. When you are surrounded by… a system that continues to fail you and is plagued by corruption. You try your best to circumvent that and you get hit by a door in your face. It’s easy to feel like there’s no point in trying to fix anything. Until we get to the root cause, we can’t help the fruit for how it comes out.

Vaccine hoarding has reminded us how unequal we are in the world. Is this campaign to help right the ‘wrongs’?

It’s an effort to right the wrongs. Vaccine equity is important. (That’s) why the foundation has realised the role that the retail industry can play, that we can be accountable to the people who support the retail industry. Vaccine equity is going to be a great morality test for the global community, and reminding the world that we can’t celebrate the First World having access to the vaccine while there are millions of people who do not have access to the vaccine.

It being Youth Month, what role can the youth play to help defeat the pandemic?

To minimise the ignorance around the virus. I hope we can be smarter in our choices and decisions and know that they affect the people… When you are outside and living your best life, remember you can bring the virus home to someone who has been at home the whole time.

LIFESTYLE

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2021-06-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-13T07:00:00.0000000Z

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