A SONG and video compilation is set to make Nelson Mandela's dream of a children's hospital come true.
Yesterday, Radio 2000 launched two songs and videos to raise funds for the building of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital.
Radio 2000 station manager Carlito Sheikh said he had to ask himself "what kind of a gift do you give to someone who has everything"?
"We wanted to give Madiba, the father of the nation, a gift that he will be really proud of," said Sheikh.
The project - which features names such as R&B star Loyiso Bala, Tu Nokwe and Pops Mohammed - is a birthday dedication as well as a means to raise the much-needed funds to build theR1-billion facility.
Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust and the Nelson Mandela Foundation chief executive officer Sibongile Mkhabela pointed out that Africa was lacking in medical facilities that catered to the specific needs of children.
"When we design institutions, we design not with them in mind but with ourselves in mind," said Mkhabela.
She said this would be "the first children's hospital that Africans would lead and start for themselves".
The initiative's media and communications officer Vuyo Lutseke said the hospital's construction was likely to begin in the last quarter of 2012 near the Wits University medical campus.
The hospital is expected to have 200 beds and will provide specialised care.
Universal Music South Africa managing director Randall Abrahams stated that beyond its "commercial role music had a particular cultural role fulfil".
He also expressed hopes that people would think of the importance of the cause and refrain from pirating music.
Mohammed said "beautiful times shared with Mandela" had inspired the song he composed for the project, entitled Happy Birthday Madiba.
The other song, All About Love, was composed by Tebogo Rameetse in collaboration with Lebohang Sebele.
The public can download the songs and make a R20 contribution by forwarding an SMS with the word love or Madiba to the number 31755.