As my father once wrote:

Such as with the pieces of any puzzle; testimonies, letters and photos help to reconstruct the story of any person in their absolute fullness.

Many have heard of Nelson Mandela and of his countless good deeds, but stories can fade and even contort over time.

How does one go about keeping the image of an important historical figure alive throughout time and in its most deep and relevant state?

We write about it of course! :)

Lets have a quick intro on this person.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18 1918 and passed away on the 5th of December 2013.

He was:

• A South African revolutionary who greatly opposed appartheid.
• A political leader.
• A philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

He basically focused on tackling institutionalised racism and helping to foster a kind of racial reconciliation for his nation.

Thanks to him, South Africa became known as the "Rainbow Nation", featuring a populace comprised of many nationalities, races, ethnic groups, and minorities; who somehow managed to live in peace and prosperity. - Or at least that was the ultimate goal being pursued at the time.

Mandela, being the first african-american president of South Africa was officially titled as "his Excellency" as an honor to his work and patronage. This title is honorific and usually given to only the highest-level officers and officials within international institutions.

Apart from the general knowledge and history that can be dug up on this person, there is not much relating to WHO he really was... General statistics and data can portray much of what this person has accomplished, but not much on who he was. Those who closely interacted and worked with Nelson always had positive things to say about him, his passion, attitude and pretty much everything else.

The most intricate and delicate information which is usually omitted from historical texts is the one portraying an in-depth perspective of a personality, a unique person, with feelings - just like any one of us. Mandela himself even liked to be described as such - as an ordinary person.

This is why I decided to compile a list personal descriptions from actual encounters by various people with Nelson Mandela throughout his career.

The following are real quotes and actual descriptions of Mandela, some of which were translated from other languages such as Zulu or Afrikaans (and other native South African and international languages - including an article by my father many years ago in spanish)

1. Farieda Omar (1994). "In 1994 I participated in a women's march to Parliament in order to deliver a memorandum to President Mandela. He went out and greeted everyone. I was pushing someone in a wheelchair, and when the president approached me, he kissed my hand. I felt that I was going to die! I was very excited".

2. Dirk Willem Venter. "The day I met Mr. Mandela is still alive in my memory. I had heard many stories of how lucky we were to have a president like him and although I was very young, I felt a deep fear of being lucky enough to meet him face to face. His unmistakable voice filled my ears. I did not know it then, but knowing him changed my life. I am one of the three completely blind students who studied Computer Science in South Africa. His example taught me never to give up."

3. Linda McGregor (1995). "President Mandela attended the demonstration at the Athlone stadium. My work obligations prevented me from going, but disappointment turned to enthusiasm when I learned that I would stop at the Hanover Park Health Center where, along with two other nurses and a doctor, I was on duty. I could not say a word. To this day I can not remember how I, who was standing in the second row, could do what I did. I had my arms around his neck and I kissed him on the lips."

4. Enid Johnson (1997). "It all started with a phone call from the parliamentary office saying that the president was coming to see us at the Dolphin Educare Center in Strandfontein. When Mandela came in, leaning on my shoulder, I realized how tall he was. The charisma and humility of the president were evident, it could be felt. He spoke to the children and the staff, and the children sang the anthem and the president 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. Mandela's visit to our center was the highlight of our 32 years of existence."

5. Nomfundo Walaza. "One day we were invited to meet with the president, at a particularly difficult time because of the conflict between the organization known as PAGAD and the communities affected by street violence in the Western Cape. He was almost like a father who feels the pain of his people and says: "It's okay." This is the man who is revered by the world and is able to come to us as a peacemaker, and holds our hand, and he says it will be fine."

6. Max Ozinsky (1996). "During the regional elections in Cape Town. It was also the day Madiba taught me a lesson against racism that I have never forgotten. That morning he decided to walk from Genadendal to the polling station, about two kilometers away. Many criticized him for wearing that shirt. In his defense I can only say that it was all there was in the closet."

7. Rayhaan Surve. "In August of 2008 I attended with my family the inauguration of the statue of Nelson Mandela in front of Victor Verster prison. It was very cloudy and the ceremony had barely begun, when it began to rain pitifully. I was lucky to find refuge with Madiba. I have the pictures framed on my wall and when I look at them I remember how lucky I was to find someone who had done so much not only in South Africa, but around the world. I have a story to tell my children and grandchildren."

8. Ryland Fisher. "I was deputy editor of the 'Cape Times' newspaper. We invite the president to visit us. We were quite surprised that he accepted. When it was time for him to leave, we went to the main entrance, where a large crowd had gathered. When Madiba saw all these people, he immediately approached them to shake hands and greet everyone with his usual: 'Hello, how are you? I'm glad to see you."

9. Stanley Shuma (1996). "The moment of the image meant a lot to me and the people of Genadendal. In fact, it was a historic moment for the people of Genadendal, one of the most memorable occasions of my life. It fills me with emotion and gratitude for this great man who was willing to die for our freedom and who spent 27 years in prison. Anyone in the world would have given anything to get just a handshake with Madiba, and here I share a precious moment with this world-famous leader."

10. Sylvia Ncediwe (1997). "My name is Sylvia Ncediwe Mdunyelwa. I work as a singer in Cape Town. In 1997 I was hired to perform at a farewell party that Madiba offered to his staff, including domestic and gardening staff. It was my most memorable concert! When Madiba got out of the car, he went directly to the man in a dirty jumpsuit and said, "How are you?", While I shook his hand."

11. Tony Yengeni. "I stood behind Nelson Mandela in the National Assembly. It is a source of great pride and honor for me to have acted as a parliamentarian during the presidency of Mandela. I worked very closely with him and his office."

12. Zolani Mikiva. "It was during the approval of the new Constitution of South Africa in 1996, when I was given a golden opportunity to sing the praises of Mandela inside the Parliament. It was an unprecedented ceremony, in which for the first time in the history of this country a poet of tradition recited in a place laden with parliamentary protocols."

13. Crystal Orderson (1996). "It was a warm day in May of 1996. I had just graduated in journalism and had been working as a television reporter for the television news station SABC for six months. Anxious, excited and ready to tell stories to the nation, it was my mantra. My enthusiasm was contagious and my editor had to sometimes contain my emotion for the stories. That day, May 17, 1996, the editor informed me that I would cover President Nelson Mandela. I could not believe it. I was on the moon."

I hope the above more clearly paints a vivid picture of who Nelson Mandela was. To close off I would like to leave you all with some of Nelson's quotes/phrases which I've combined and which has become one of my favorite quotes of all times. All credit goes to this generous, loving, and caring man!

"No one is born hating another person by the color of their skin, or their heritage, or their religion. People have to learn, in order to hate. They can therefore also be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Human kindness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished." -Nelson

Sources:  This article is my own work with certain data (such as historical images) from Wikipedia and an article by my father. Some of the original images can no longer be sourced from the persons who sent in their descriptions of Nelson Mandela - likely due to not being documented or archived well enough - which is very sad. There is a lot to learn from history and this is why we must always document special moments when we can.