Team Building
Boomerang’s values align with national celebration
On Saturday the 24th of September the people of South Africa celebrate Heritage Day, a public holiday on which we recognise the wealth and diversity of our Rainbow Nation and our shared national identity. And we’ll do this in a uniquely South African way – around the braai (elsewhere known as a BBQ) with friends.
Our different customs, clothing and language help to forge the meaningful people connections that are intrinsic to the Boomerang’s business offering. In fact, these differences, rather than creating a divide, add spice and interest as we get into the mindset of becoming curious about one another.
Division may be in our past, not to be forgotten, but embracing all races and all genders brightens our present and the many gifts of multicultural sharing of knowledge beckon in the future.
An acknowledgment of national heritage underscores the reason that, taking pride of place in a staff common area at Boomerang, there stands an immersive work of art created in a community NGO project called Intle Art based in the historic harbour village of Hout Bay.
The artwork is a giant portrait of Nelson Mandela, a name synonymous with forging South Africa’s almost miraculous path to healing.
Boomerang CEO, Robert Joubert recalled: “When I spotted and purchased the painting, I remember thinking that Mandela, among many other things, is a symbol of the living heritage of South Africa. To have found such a radiant and intense painting representing the unmistakable likeness of Madiba, and to buy it from an NGO that stood for under-represented people, was an opportunity I simply could not pass up.”
And, like the best collector’s pieces, there is a marvelous story behind this picture. Intle Art is a community youth project that promotes aspiring young artists from the areas of Imizamo Yethu and the Harbour communities, teaching and mentoring them in the development of their artistic and entrepreneurial skills and producing art for sale. From training to conception, painting to selling, it all happens under one roof.
Mark Tondori, an artist and mentor at Intle Art, explains: “The outline of the artwork was created here, and the kids from Intle filled out the colour with our guidance. It formed part of a fundraiser on Mandela Day, where people contributed to ‘paint a square of freedom’. To me, Madiba represents tenacity, courage and the desire for freedom. His goal to liberate his countrymen showed the world that perseverance pays, in any goal you want to achieve.”
Considering the Boomerang SA value of creating meaningful people connections, nothing unites us in our national heritage more than gathering around an open fire and cooking a good meal. For this reason Heritage day is also known as Braai Day, and in a country as diverse as South Africa, this is one activity we all have in common. There’s nothing quite like food, fire and music to bring people together.
Boomerang wishes all its staff and clients a humdinger of a Heritage Day, and while our local staff will be partying around the customary braai, we invite our overseas clients to channel their inner South Africans tomorrow, get in on the celebrations and make a feast of your own.
