SUSTAINABILITY
How to include s as part of your When discussing sustainability in business we often think of an organisation’s impact on its ecological environment, but what about its social and economic impact? According to IMD Business School, expectations on corporate social responsibility are increasing and there is a demand for more transparency. Testing, inspection and certification company, Bureau Veritas completed a month-long campaign around social justice, education and socio-economic upliftment during July, setting a pace for empowerment and social responsibility in corporate southern Africa.
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ice president of Bureau Veritas Southern Africa, Sal Govender; and the company’s human resources team, through the leadership of Beatrice Scharneck, set about making a social and economic difference in the lives of beneficiaries in regions company employees live and work. Bureau Veritas enjoys a strong ethos of actively demonstrating social responsibility by regularly supporting communities through education, technical, safety and environmental societal causes. Changing South Africa one person at a time, the Bureau Veritas Corporate Responsibility Committee encouraged all employees to commit to making a difference in the lives of others through a moving Pledge Ceremony at the launch of the campaign on 1 July.
The Ithemba Trust, launched in 2018, also lent gravitas to the July campaign, championing the weekly activations with motivational speeches and words of encouragement for the beneficiaries.
PAY IT FORWARD Weekly activations saw the company pay visits to various beneficiaries. On 8 July, Bureau Veritas visited Home of Hope, an orphanage for abused and neglected young girls, whose vision is to end child trafficking, tackling the culture of sexual exploitation, violence and criminality. The company provided the girls with new footwear, toiletries, games, cosmetics and nail and foot care products. On Mandela Day on 18 July the Johannesburg, Durban,
Home of Hope children receive school shoes from Bureau Veritas
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INDUSTRIAL BUYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
Cape Town and Sasolburg branches of the company visited Ntsikana Primary School to donate 10 laptops to the computer laboratory, which only had two computers for 1 100 learners. An employee book drive ensured a sizeable literature contribution was donated to the school. The Cape Town office visited St Anne’s Homes, a safe house for women and moms with their children. Donating stationery for the women’s workshops and party packs for the children, the company also provided hygiene products for the women and baby food for the babies. In her private capacity, Bureau Veritas employee, Elna Matthews made 24 dog jackets and donated 12 of these to Vaal Pets and the remaining dozen to the SPCA; as well as dog and cat food. Later in the month, on 22 July, the Bureau Veritas Centurion branch supported the local Sammy’s Day Care Centre by painting classrooms in bright, happy colours, enhancing the sustainability of the premises. The company donated 10 laptops to the centre’s computer laboratory as these are a much needed educational tool. Employees repaired ablution facilities and provided artwork materials for the young children, as well as party boxes and lunch. The teachers were gifted with mugs and sought-after stationery. 25 July saw Bureau Veritas join hands with non-profit organisation, Baby’s Home in Umlazi, Durban, a place of safety for abandoned and/or orphaned babies. The company donated a much-required
