Nelson Mandela Day: Exhibition celebrates former leader, raises awareness of cancer

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South Africans joined hands in honour of their former president Nelson Mandela. Mandela Day was first observed in 2010 and has become an annual celebration. A group of children contributed to the big day by turning a Johannesburg Shopping Centre into an art gallery. CGTN's Julie Scheier reports.

Nelson Mandela's face, pieced together with tiny magazine cuttings. One of 300 works of art done by children from the Kyalami Schools group in Johannesburg, to show their love for the global icon.

"Nelson Mandela was a very good man. He was a very kind man, and he was very special to me."

"He wanted the best but he never got the best. So, he wanted to make a difference for all the other children in this world."

Mandela believed that children are the greatest assets to a country, and educating them was the most powerful tool.

"We did the hands to say thank you to Nelson Mandela to show him that we appreciate everything he did for us, he sacrificed everything for us. He went to jail for all of us, and he fought for freedom, so we can all be equal."

"He was stuck in prison for 27 years. And what I like about him is that he forgave all those people that put him in prison."

The exhibition raises awareness around children suffering with cancer. It also highlights the importance of community service.

GARY BOTHA, CEO KYALAMI GROUP OF SCHOOLS "For us it's to raise awareness around charity, around giving back and around everything that Nelson Mandela stood for. The idea is to make this an annual event and to grow on it and to support various charities through the work that we do."

Some grasped the importance of Mandela Day.

VYOM DIXIT GRADE 11 "I think it's important to follow his footsteps because, he made some important decisions that eventually shaped the future that his generation had to live in, and I think we need to do the same, because we need to start shaping our future for ourselves."

Others rolled up their sleeves and let their imagination run wild.

TAYA ROUX GRADE 7 "We chose the cow because in many Zulu cultures, they kill a cow when you get married. We paper machered it. So, we took, I think it was metal, metal strips, and we paper machered it, and then we painted it."

JULIE SCHEIER JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA "Children had a special place in Mandela's heart. And this exhibition is about preserving his legacy among younger generations. JS CGTN JHB SA."