This year, Earthchild Project took a different spin on Mandela Day, 18 July 2018. While there were many organisations and individuals who supported us through donating money or volunteering time to Earthchild Project, our facilitators, junior staff and Young Leaders chose to give back in a creative way, where it really matters! And so, they created The Pamper Your Teacher Day for all of our four schools in Khayelitsha – a special day just to honour our unsung heroes who devote so much time and energy to nurturing our earthchildren.

The day was about our Young Leaders pampering their own teachers as their personal act of gratitude and a way of saying ‘thank you’ for everything that their teachers do for them on a daily basis. It was a sweet way of showing that the leadership, love, determination, motivation and care from our teachers does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Teachers were treated to a 67 minute “pop-up” spa treatment in their own classroom which was transformed into a sanctuary with incense, essential oils, yoga-mat “massage beds” lovely music and flowers. How divine! Each teacher received a foot, shoulder and back massage while they relaxed, reclined and read some magazines. If only every school day could be like this!

The response from the teachers was, of course, incredible. The only dilemma our Young Leaders now face – the teachers loved it so much that they want a spa treatment every two weeks! Who can blame them!?