CSI November 2021

CSI 2021

www.businessmediamags.co.za

REBUILDING AND RESTORING DIGNITY How collaboration between public and private sector organisations is driving real change

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EDI T ORI A L COMMEN TA RY

CSI PUBLISHED BY

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REBUILDING AND RESTORING DIGNITY

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he past 18 months have seen a series of disruptions affect every aspect of our lives. Never before have we witnessed or been a part of a pandemic that has not only caused health tragedies, but also impacted severely on both our economic and social realities. But despite all the challenges we continue to face, the triumphant spirit and ubuntu that characterises our nation has seen communities band together to rebuild and restore the dignity lost through the hardships that our most vulnerable communities have to endure.

In this issue we highlight a few collaborative interventions and ask our experts to share why and how giving back is critical to ensuring our country survives the current challenges of poverty, inadequate access to basic health and welfare services and rights, the disruptions to our education system, and more.

Raina Julies

CONTENTS 7

TRENDS

Corporate social investment is much more than a just handout

11 COVID-19

34 ENVIRONMENT

Celebrating 30 years of the WWF Nedbank Green Affinity Trust

35 PROFILE: ST JOSEPH’S HOME

The history, work and challenges of this paediatric healthcare and education facility

The impact of the pandemic on programme funding

12 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Why collaboration makes sense

17 ACTIVISM

It’s time to act with intent and intensity against gender-based violence

21 EDUCATION

Why social interventions within education are critical

22 LITERACY

Supporting reading and writing initiatives creates better futures for all

24 FOUNDATIONS

Five changemakers involved in altering the realities of the most vulnerable

Copyright: Picasso Headline.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material.

CSI is published by Picasso Headline. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Picasso Headline. All advertisements/advertorials have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publisher.

26 FOOD RELIEF

Making South Africa more food secure

30 SPORT

Initiatives supporting sports development and finding talent

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CHAMPIONING EDUCATION

21 Acts of Goodness Mpumalanga activation.

Give matric learners guidance, fresh hope and another chance, says Old Mutual Foundation

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etting your matric is a major stepping stone. It marks the end of childhood, signals the start of adulthood and heralds the opening of new opportunities and adventures.

But during 2020 and 2021, completing the last year of school became a tough obstacle course with lessons disrupted

by COVID-19 lockdowns where valuable learning opportunities were lost. On top of this, there were new anxieties and traumas, the fear of loss, and the pain of grief. Last year (and again this year with Woza Matrics), the Old Mutual Foundation and its partners – loveLife, BrandSA and the Nelson Mandela Foundation – stepped in to support matric learners with curriculum coverage and psychosocial support by launching the 21 Acts of Goodness programme.

This initiative has now expanded to encompass the holistic service of Yethu

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Scholars and the Gradesmatch Second Class Matric project.

YETHU SCHOLARS Yethu Scholars is an educational community development project founded by Mcee Bongani Mchunu. After finishing his first degree, Mchunu says he had ongoing gnawing thoughts about former schoolmates who had dropped out of education despite being bright and full of potential.

He blames the dwindling of their dreams and ambitions on the fact that there was insufficient information and guidance available for learners at disadvantaged schools Mchunu started Yethu Scholars to improve access to information for the world beyond school. Recognising that the journey to a prosperous career begins at school, he and Yethu Scholars teamed up with the Imbumba Foundation’s youth development and

leadership programme, Vision20/20. Together, they are providing university, college and NSFAS application support as well as career guidance to matric learners, free of charge, through Old Mutual Foundation’s 21 Acts of Goodness programme.

Universities that have agreed to support the initiative by waiving their application fees include University of Johannesburg, University of the Free State, Walter Sisulu University, Nelson Mandela University, University of Limpopo, North-West University, University of the Western Cape and Sol Plaatje University.

“A lack of information and lack of confidence are the main reasons why many young people do not progress to institutions of higher education,” explains Mchunu. “They do not know how to apply for admission, how to apply for funding, or how to choose an appropriate course. All these things can be overwhelming without clear guidance and encouragement.”

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OL D MU T UA L A DV ER T ORI A L

21 Acts of Goodness Free State activation.

Mchunu says he’s witnessed too many young people with enormous potential fall by the wayside, ending up jobless, vegetating at home or falling prey to social ills such as drugs, substance abuse and crime.

“Our aims and those of Yethu Scholars are very aligned, so partnering with them was a logical step for us,” says Fikile Kuhlase, head of the Old Mutual Foundation.

“Social investments in education and skills development have always been priorities for us. We believe the nation’s stable and prosperous future depends on them.”

GRADESMATCH

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To address inequalities across education and help learners pursue and attain their dreams, the Old Mutual Foundation has also partnered with the Gradesmatch Second Chance Matric project.

“Our support of this programme is a natural progression for the Old Mutual Foundation. It’s a commitment that we believe will have profound benefi ts for participants and the country’s ailing economy,” says Kuhlase.

The Gradesmatch programme, launched by the Department of Basic Education, provides support to learners who want to rewrite Grade 12 and meet the requirements of the National Senior Certifi cate.

The Gradesmatch programme targets young people who are not in education, employment, or training. Three pillars of support are provided: • Support for adult learners wishing to complete matric.

• Short skills programmes to improve employability.

21 Acts of Goodness Gauteng activation.

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Career outreach programmes to expose youth to opportunities available in both the public and private sectors.

CLOSING THE GAP The Old Mutual Foundation contributes towards supporting career outreach programmes that align with its career pathing and mentorship focus area.

The support will help close an education gap that has arisen because only 10 per cent of matric students have had access to career guidance services. The result, to date, is that 74 per cent of youth with a graduate degree or other tertiary qualification find themselves underemployed or unemployed because they selected careers that do not meet market needs, thereby creating a skills gap.

“The Gradesmatch programme will assist nearly 400 learners, primarily in rural areas, in 30 SCM centres nationwide. The learners will have access to Gradesmatch technology that assists with career guidance and tertiary education application services, programmes that have already helped 250 000 people in the last three years. During 2020, the Gradesmatch programme supported over 7 000 rural township matriculants through its flagship bridge programme,” say two of the Gradesmatch founders, Lebohang Diale and Unathi September.

“A lack of information and lack of confidence are the main reasons why many young people do not progress to institutions of higher education.”

By supporting nonprofit organisations nationwide to champion education efforts, Old Mutual hopes to create a groundswell of civil society awareness that will get many more people and organisations involved in and keen to commit to supporting matriculants.

This year, Old Mutual also partnered with the Woza Matrics programme – the multiplatform programme that provides curriculum support to matric learners. The focus will again be on helping learners meet their study needs at home and school, and assisting them with preparedness and managing anxiety to ensure mental wellness.

“The 2021 school year has seen little relief from the adverse developments that disrupted education delivery in 2020. As part of its long- and medium-term commitments to education, Old Mutual Foundation will be with the Grade 12s both practically and in spirit as they begin their life-changing matric exams.

Victory is so close. We must do all we can to ensure they have no desire or reason to give up,” says Kuhlase.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Old Mutual website.

For more information: www.oldmutual.co.za

– MCEE BONGANI MCHUNU, YETHU STUDENTS

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A DV ER T ORI A L L A ND BA NK

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH AGRICULTURE

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and & Agricultural Development Bank (Land Bank) constantly works to empower communities through agriculture. Through high-impact strategic social investments, the bank creates opportunities across the agricultural value chain to bring more previously disadvantaged groups like youth, women and black people into the sector.

Land Bank’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme is designed to support South African communities through three focus areas.

• Food security: to upskill and provide resources to schools and households to reduce vulnerability to hunger.

• Employment quality: to upskill in sustainable agricultural practices and increase employment opportunities.

• Sector growth and transformation: to build the agricultural sector skills knowledge pipeline focusing on youth women development and entrepreneurship.

Over the last years, work has progressed to implement an impactful CSI strategy aligned to Land Bank’s core mandate of creating a more inclusive and equitable agricultural sector, both in business and career. The bank’s growing CSI programme continues to reach out to local communities to facilitate greater participation in the sector by those previously disadvantaged.

We embrace partnerships, working with like-minded institutions involved in the development of agriculture within local communities. In 2019, Land Bank established

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a working relationship with Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA - www.trees.org.za). FTFA is a nonprofit organisation that addresses food security and environmental sustainability through education and skills training.

GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS In 2020, Land Bank supported the development of school food gardens in partnership with FTFA – impacting more than 1 000 learners by assisting them to develop their school food gardens. The skills imparted during the Land Bank project workshops are encouraging the next generation of farmers in South Africa.

This collaboration ensured that the gardens at three schools in Gauteng, North West and the Eastern Cape survived the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to provide muchneeded nutritious food.

Bachana Mokwena Primary School in Gauteng was one of Land Bank’s Nelson Mandela Day 2019 beneficiaries, benefitting from the bank’s employees’ volunteer efforts that upgraded the existing food garden. Since then, food production has increased by about 50 per cent. During the lockdowns, the garden remained in good condition because of the permaculture training and soil care education imparted at the workshops. When learners returned to school after lockdown, the bank additionally invested in the construction of an outdoor classroom that allowed learners to continue with lessons while maintaining social distancing. This classroom continues to provide a space for community members to have their agriculturalrelated theory classes, attend workshops and host agricultural education exhibitions.

Land Bank and FTFA assisted in setting up a food garden at Mokhine Primary School in the Bakgatla ba Kgafela community in the North West, which is now producing healthy vegetables. Unemployed community youth have joined the project, injecting innovative and new ideas into the initiative.

Hamilton-Umzamomhle Junior Secondary School in the Eastern Cape is just beginning its food garden journey. FTFA identified that the proposed garden’s soil is not in great condition, so the next step is to get the soil into good condition and make the garden a hub of food security and learning in the community.

Land Bank’s Lion Phasha says: “The right to food is enshrined in the South African Constitution, and by supporting these food security programme we are contributing to that ideal. Land Bank will continue to support these programmes as they provide a considerable opportunity to inspire the youth to become next-generation farmers and contribute to the creation of viable and sustainable agricultural enterprises.”

Through the food security programme, Land Bank hopes to bring agriculture education into public schools to teach learners how to efficiently feed themselves and their communities while gaining a better understanding of food production and distribution. The bank believes that the agricultural sector has great potential to provide sustainable career and business opportunities. With its ageing farming segment, South Africa needs to develop a new generation of farmers –this starts at the early stages of learning.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Landbank website.

For more information: Mr Lion Phasha Lead: Stakeholder Relations & CSI Switch Board: 012 686 0500 lphasha@landbank.co.za www.landbank.co.za

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Land Bank’s commitment to community development is an extension of the bank’s mandate to grow the agricultural sector in a more inclusive and transformed way

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T REND S

The Limpuma Enterprise Development Project in Vhulaudzi, Limpopo, supported by SAFCOL, manufactures wooden furniture.

THE STATE OF NONCASH GIVING

SETTING THE

TREND FOR CSI Corporate social investment can be much more than a handout, writes JAMES FRANCIS

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n parts of KwaZulu-Natal, communities no longer cause fires in the nearby forests.

People frequently hunted for wild honey in the forests and used smoke to access it at one stage. Mistakes happened and fires started. Yet rather than punish the communities, forestry companies took a different tack by offering to collect wild honey on behalf of local communities. And in KwaZulu-Natal, a community-initiated collaboration helped people establish beehives in their backyards.

It’s one of many stories shared by Norman Dlamini, business development director at Forestry South Africa (FSA), some captured in CSI reports issued by FSA in 2018.

With the latest edition due in mid-November, Dlamini can cite more examples. Suffice to say, there is more going on than handouts, which explains why the forestry sector ranks among the most generous for CSI. It’s part of the basic resources sector, which according to Trialogue’s Business In Society 2020 report, represents 25 per cent of CSI spend in South Africa.

“We don’t talk enough about the good work of the forestry industry, but I am certainly not surprised that our sector is one of the biggest CSI contributors in the country,” says Dlamini.

Forestry shares the group with several other sectors, including water. For Xylem, a pure water technology company that operates its African operations out of Johannesburg, CSI is crucial.

“There is a strong link with CSI,” says Chetan Mistry, Xylem’s strategy and marketing manager for Africa. “Xylem solves water challenges, and our CSI projects always include water. All communities need water; it affects people’s health and their quality of life.

We want to assist in providing water to those who don’t have easy access to it.”

CSI WITH PURPOSE CSI as a corporate handout doesn’t support long-term sustainability. Thus many companies that operate in basic resource sectors acknowledge that the welfare of underprivileged communities impacts them Norman directly. “Basic resources Dlamini companies usually operate in rural areas that are neglected,” says Mistry. “We are quietly making a difference and providing long-term solutions to as many underprivileged communities as possible.”

Dlamini agrees that within the forestry industry, the same type of commitment exists.

“Some projects by FSA members have been

“BASIC RESOURCES ARE OFTEN IN RURAL AREAS THAT TEND TO BE NEGLECTED. WE ARE QUIETLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND PROVIDING LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS TO AS MANY UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES AS POSSIBLE.” – CHETAN MISTRY, XYLEM

Cash remains the most popular way for companies to express CSI. However, Trialogue’s Business In Society 2020 report reveals that 24 per cent of companies made noncash donations, down from 35 per cent in 2019.

During 2020, these companies gave donations – goods, products, and services – to the value of R833-million and R2.5-million in employee time (though most companies do not quantify employee volunteer time). In terms of CSI expenditure, noncash giving rose from 6 per cent (2019) to 16 per cent.

going for over two decades. Over the years, we have seen forestry CSI initiatives evolve from being charity-based – giving when you have a little extra – to an intentional effort to create value and sustainability for those neighbouring our plantations. Many FSA members have actively re-engineered their markets, products and value chains to benefit local economic development by creating new businesses owned and managed by locals.”

CSI AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT When the pandemic arrived, such companies used their established CSI networks to distribute food parcels and healthcare products to communities and provide washing stations. Go deeper, though, and you find a great example of how CSI and social development overlaps.

“Some communities have shown real resilience during the pandemic, partly due to the entrepreneur schemes our members have helped set up – these include honey harvesting projects, community food gardens and even small businesses. They have enabled community members to generate income during the pandemic, in ways neighbouring communities that do not have these programmes in place have not been able to,” says Dlamini.

Synergy, not charity, is the ultimate goal – and that spirit is evident among smaller players. Helping establish food gardens, create businesses, and support schools are all examples of sustainable CSI. The CSI activity of the basic resources sectors sets a great example of meaningful intervention and co-operation.

“When you empower communities, you give hope,” says Mistry. “You give opportunities, you remove obstacles, and you enable people to live with dignity.”

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COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES Gift of the Givers Foundation with Isuzu have transported drinkable water to communities who have experienced major water crises.

Isuzu Motors South Africa is committed to recognising its impact on the community and the environment and leverages key partnerships to find sustainable solutions in the community

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suzu Motors South Africa’s (IMSAf) corporate commitment to sustainability is in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, including contributing towards education, poverty and hunger alleviation and creating sustainable environments.

Isuzu focuses its corporate social investment on initiatives that are responsive to the needs of the communities where the company operates. IMSAf department executive of corporate and public affairs Mandlakazi Sigcawu says Isuzu remains committed to assisting government and South African communities in curbing the impact of COVID-19. “The needs across the country have been immeasurable, especially during the hard lockdown. We continue to

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receive requests for support from all walks of life. Through our partnerships, we reached many communities and, I believe, we made a difference in those people’s lives.”

While a big focus of Isuzu’s corporate commitment to sustainability in 2020/2021 was on humanitarian relief efforts, Isuzu invested in all three of its corporate social responsibility focus areas: natural disaster relief support, education and skills development and environmental management.

DISASTER RELIEF SUPPORT: ISUZU’S RAPID RESPONSE TO COVID-19 IMSAf responded swiftly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in 2020. Within just eight days, the Isuzu team completed renovations to the Livingstone and Provincial hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay, providing increased capacity to accommodate COVID-19 patients that required screening, testing and hospitalisation.

AS THE FIRST VACCINATION PHASES ROLLED OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IMSAF FUNDED THE REFURBISHMENT OF AN OLD CASUALTY WARD IN THE PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL IN GQEBERHA TO READY IT AS A VACCINATION CENTRE.

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ISUZU MO T ORS A DV ER T ORI A L

The company also made its media fleet, which was stationary during the level 5 lockdown, available to Gift of the Givers and offered its marketing fleet to the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria. These vehicles were used to transport medical supplies, food and personal protective equipment to remote communities across the country.

Isuzu also rented space from its logistics supplier DSV to store medical supplies for the public hospitals in Nelson Mandela Bay. In 2021, Isuzu continued to support COVID-19-related initiatives that seek to assist the community at large. As the first vaccination phases rolled out across the country, IMSAf funded the refurbishment of an old casualty ward in the provincial hospital in Gqeberha to ready it as a vaccination centre.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: ISUZU EMPOWERS YOUTH Isuzu has achieved a Level 1 B-BBBE rating for two years in a row, despite a challenging business environment. “We are committed to transformation and believe that an inclusive economy is the foundation for economic prosperity for all citizens,” says IMSAf president and chief executive officer Billy Tom. “Isuzu remains committed to investing in initiatives that will develop and nurture youth, including those who are still attending school,” says Sigcawu.

Alexander Road High won The Herald Isuzu school quiz. The nail-biting competition saw Sanctor in second place with Nico Malan third and Paterson fourth.

“OUR YOUTH DESERVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ACCELERATE THEIR EMPLOYABILITY AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE YES PROGRAMME PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN SKILLS, LEARN WORKPLACE DISCIPLINE AND GROW AND DEVELOP ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.” – BILLY TOM, ISUZU Mandlakazi Sigcawu, Department Executive Corporate & Public Affairs

The company’s graduate-in-training programmes and interships continued to run throughout 2020 and 2021 – including the highly successful Youth Employment Services (YES) programme.

Over 114 YES candidates have gained work experience at Isuzu over the past two years. Almost 40 per cent of the first intake of YES candidates at Isuzu found meaningful employment following their participation in the programme.

“Our youth deserve opportunities that accelerate their employability and we believe that the YES programme provides an opportunity to gain skills, learn workplace discipline and grow and develop on a personal level,” Tom says.

Isuzu also unveiled several media partnership programmes as part of the company’s commitment to school learners in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2021. In partnership

with Media 24, Isuzu sponsored a six-part career webinar series that provided general career guidance on mechatronics, artificial intelligence, education, journalism and logistics. Isuzu was also the main sponsor of The Herald schools quiz, an initiative aimed at fostering, developing and stimulating learners in the area of general knowledge.

“The initiatives that Isuzu sponsored were designed to encourage students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as the media, and to keep students encouraged and up to date with news and information – a critical requirement for knowledge economies,” Sigcawu explains.

The company continues to support the Nelson Mandela University Isuzu Chair of Mechatronics programme to ensure an enhanced skills base in the industry through the research and the development of unique and innovative solutions.

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A DV ER T ORI A L ISUZU MO T ORS

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: ISUZU LEADS THE WAY In 2021, Isuzu was recognised for its pursuit of excellence in environmental management

by Exporters Eastern Cape during the Exporter of the Year Awards ceremony.

IMSAf received a merit award in the SJM Flex Environmental category.

IMSAf reduced its water usage in operations by 50 per cent, has seen significant reductions in utilities’ costs through direct process change, and, based on high waste recovery initiatives, all facilities continue to be landfill-free. Isuzu recycles 94 per cent of the waste generated at its manufacturing facilities; the remaining 6 per cent is sent to Johannesburg for alternate energy usage.

Isuzu is also committed to environmental best practice outside the gates of its manufacturing facilities. It has formed a successful partnership with Gift of the Givers to support communities affected by environmental challenges, in particular, drought conditions. In the Eastern Cape, many towns and cities have experienced a major water crisis – with the province offi cially declared a disaster area in October 2019.

Isuzu supports Gift of the Givers with two trucks, a water tanker and three bakkies.

Gift of the Givers has drilled nine boreholes in Graaff-Reinet and fi ve in Adelaide – all producing drinkable water. Daily, the Gift of the Givers team and the Isuzu trucks make their way into communities where they are met with empty water bottles, buckets, and smiles from community members.

For a while, these water tankers were the only source of water for some community members and, in some areas, it remains this way.

Gift of the Givers has also completed 15 boreholes in Makhanda, of which 14 deliver drinkable water. “The water tankers play a strategic role in getting the clean water from the source to the residents. Isuzu has made an invaluable contribution to our operations,” says Gift of the Givers director of strategic planning Badr Kazi.

In just one year, the three Isuzu trucks have transported an estimated 5.85 million litres of water to communities in the Eastern Cape. IMSAf is also part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business

Isuzu Recycling Program.

Chamber’s Adopt-a-school initiative.

The initiative addresses water leakages at schools, as part of the region’s water preservation efforts.

“Isuzu is committed to environmental best practice- all facilities are zero-waste to landfill.”

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For more information: www.isuzu.co.za

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➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Isuzu website.

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HOW THE PANDEMIC IMPACTS CSI FUNDING

COV ID-19

Organisations such as FoodForward SA have played a critical role facilitating the donation of much-needed food parcels to vulnerable communities throughout South Africa.

JAMES FRANCIS finds out how corporate social investment is affected by the challenges presented by COVID-19 and if this will change the practice

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he way corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa responded when the pandemic hit presents a picture of both generosity and plateauing contributions. However, the fight against COVID-19 may deliver meaningful enhancements in the relationships between companies and the projects they support.

According to Trialogue’s Business in Society 2020 report, total CSI expenditure in 2020 amounted to R10.7-billion, up 4.9 per cent from the R10.2-billion spent in 2019. Companies gave considerably during the pandemic, and there have been shifts in focus to address more acute challenges such as healthcare and food security. But over the long-term, funding trends are flat and CSI budget increases are shrinking.

There was a slight increase in support for nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), says Calisto Kondowe, CSI consultant at MAMAS Alliance, a grouping of 33 organisations in the NGO space and a provider of free CSI services to companies.

“Existing CSI partners increased their effort in 2020 and 2021. I think long-term relationships were key to the survival of most NGOs during the height of the pandemic.

Although CSI is normally one per cent net profit after tax, we have seen corporates spending more on COVID-19 relief efforts.”

TENDING TO BASIC NEEDS

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As priorities changed, NGOs and projects that relate to the pandemic received more attention. Trialogue’s report notes that in

terms of COVID-19 support, the private sector focused primarily on food security (64 per cent), healthcare (60 per cent), community support (49 per cent) and education (40 per cent). Some 60 per cent also gave to the Solidarity Fund. The fund’s latest audit reveals that 88 per cent of its R3.2-billion came from the private sector.

“In some cases, NGOs have seen a huge increase in support and demand for their services, particularly if they are working in sectors linked to COVID-19,” explains Adam Boros, head of social impact at social investment fund manager and advisor Tshikululu.

He adds that some nonprofit organisations (NPOs) struggled to secure funding during this period, although not many groups working with Tshikululu closed down altogether. But the data suggest that pandemic support came at the expense of other NPOs. Trialogue’s report finds that only 15 per cent of NPOs increased their funding, 19 per cent saw their funding shrink and 25 per cent reported that funding has stopped.

General support may be waning, says Rirhandzu Marivate, project manager for The Learning Farm at the Sustainability Institute.

“There has been a decrease in CSI as community security organisations struggle to find enough funding or donations to continue their food relief efforts. The energy and enthusiasm that businesses displayed at the beginning of the pandemic is dying down, with many CSOs having to figure out alternative means to support their communities in need.”

COMPANIES GAVE CONSIDERABLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SHIFTS IN FOCUS TO ADDRESS MORE ACUTE CHALLENGES SUCH AS HEALTHCARE AND FOOD SECURITY.

BEYOND THE PANDEMIC The Solidarity Fund is expanding its operations and focus in light of both the ongoing pandemic and the riots in mid-2021.

One of the new initiatives announced with its latest audit is to provide interest-free loans to small businesses in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng directly impacted by the riots.

Jointly, the National Empowerment Fund and the Solidarity Fund’s Humanitarian Crisis Relief Fund will provide R450-million in loans to affected small, medium and micro businesses.

RELATIONSHIPS AND CSI SPEND Some point to the tepid economy for the slowdown, and all interviewees noted that companies spent more than the usual one per cent after tax on CSI. It’s not a lack of will, but the symptom of a very challenging environment. The NPOs that fared better during the pandemic often had well-established relationships with their patrons. Boros notes that a spirit of stronger partnerships has emerged, which will hopefully continue long after the pandemic.

“Although COVID-19 has required emergency responses from many corporate social investors, we hope that beyond this period there will be increased focus and commitment to taking a longer-term, systemic approach to social investment work. There is too much ‘short-term’ thinking in the sector, but the pandemic has exposed the deep systemic challenges we face in a unique and new way. The only way to truly resolve these is through long-term, multifaceted strategies that address causes and not just symptoms.”

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PA R T NERSHIP S

and North Coast in KwaZulu-Natal. Both those concessions are considered to be well-run and have improved access to water, customer service and revenue collection.”

WHY COLLABORATION IS

NON-NEGOTIABLE What is the role of a public-private partnership? And why is it essential for sustained and efficient socioeconomic interventions?

THANDO PATO finds out

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ational treasury defines a public-private partnership (PPP) as “a contract between a public-sector institution and a private party, where the private party performs a function that is usually provided by the public sector and/or uses state property in terms of the PPP agreement.

Most of the project risk (technical, financial and operational) is transferred to the private party.”

According to the treasury, South Africa currently has 34 PPP projects, in the health, transport and roads, and tourism sectors, valued at R89.3-billion. PPPs, it says, have been successful in South Africa, however, several challenges have arisen recently that have seen the decline of new PPP transactions from an estimated R10.7-billion in 2011/12 to R5.6-billion in 2019/20.

Alex McNamara, programme manager: environmental sustainability at the National Business Initiative, says that decline could be driven in part by two key pieces of legislation: the Municipal Finance and Management Act and the Municipal PPP Regulations. “They have been important for helping guide and structure the financial management of municipalities, but they have made the task of setting up a PPP more onerous.

There is a necessary, but rigorous phase of feasibility studies that municipalities

Alex McNamara

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need to conduct around the PPP, which they don’t have to do if they decide to use in-house resources for the project. Many municipalities feel that setting up a PPP is a difficult and lengthy process as it takes about two to four years.”

Despite the legislative challenges, PPPs are important in the South African context, says McNamara, because in many instances public entities do not have the capital or skills set to roll out projects that often address basic service delivery needs like water and waste management. “I will use water as a reference point. Several municipalities have reached their borrowing limit and do not have the capacity to run large-scale water projects. This is where a PPP can make a difference because it can instead concentrate on running the procurement process and managing a private-sector counterpart.”

McNamara says South Africa has two well regarded PPPs in the water sector that have been operating for decades. “They are known as concessions and provide water to the inhabitants of Mbombela in Mpumalanga and the Dolphin

Dudu Mkhwanazi, operations director of the Apolitical Academy Southern Africa, says government cannot be expected to address the mountain of issues facing us on its own.

“Post-1994, the vision was that government would deliver jobs, housing and basic services – that hasn’t happened. Instead, we have become one of the most unequal societies in the world. We face the real challenges of a government with a shrinking budget and municipalities without the budget or skills to address everything facing them.”

Traditionally, PPPs have been between a public entity and a private company.

However, the landscape of PPPs is changing, explains Mkhwanazi. “Things are evolving and PPPs are increasing Dudu Mkhwanazi among civil society and private partners.

The benefit of these PPPs for both parties is that services are delivered by people on the ground who have the experience and know-how. These partnerships lead to quick and efficient service delivery.

“The other advantage is that these PPPs can bring about long-term change because they usually involve the buy-in of local communities. For the civil partner, the advantage of this relationship is that they now have funding, which they normally couldn’t access,” she explains.

The avalanche of socioeconomic challenges facing South Africa has also given rise to social entrepreneurship, says Mkhwanazi.

“Social entrepreneurs are identifying areas in their communities that need attention and are taking it upon themselves to find funding or seed money to start, run and maintain their projects. They may not be public entities per se, and their work may be on a small scale, but their contribution to providing services that should traditionally be rendered by the state cannot be ignored.”

MANY MUNICIPALITIES FEEL THAT SETTING UP A PPP IS A DIFFICULT AND LENGTHY PROCESS AS IT TAKES ABOUT TWO TO FOUR YEARS.” – ALEX MCNAMARA, NATIONAL BUSINESS INITIATIVE

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THE RISE OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

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Further together Technology is nothing without humanity Explore more at vodacom.co.za/FurtherTogether

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VODACOM A DV ER T ORI A L

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s we approach the end of the year, it is a good time to reflect on the activities and highlights of the past months. One particular milestone reminds me of the wise words of the great Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can choose to change the world”.

When we launched the Vodacom e-School portal in partnership with the Department of Basic Education in 2014, this was surely the sentiment. However, we could have never imagined that in April 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would reach a historical milestone. Our key driver then was how we could partner with the government and nongovernmental organisations to design a platform to ensure quality digital education for all learners.

Our e-School platform – an online digital education portal – is in line with Vodacom’s ongoing drive to help provide Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and internet connectivity to underserved communities. In so doing, we can uplift learners and their quality of education. The Vodacom e-School portal demonstrates Vodacom’s core belief that ICT and mobile technology can be used to improve and advance learning while addressing skills development, especially among learners who attend school in remote parts of our country.

PHENOMENAL GROWTH The portal provides educational content in multiple South African official languages, fully aligned with the DBE Curriculum (CAPS),

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Takalani Netshitenzhe

EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON TO CHANGE THE WORLD Vodacom is committed to supporting and advancing digital educational efforts in South Africa through its e-School platform, writes TAKALANI NETSHITENZHE, external affairs director for Vodacom South Africa for learners in Grades R–12. e-School is accessible, free of charge to all Vodacom customers, via mobile and desktop. Content includes assignments, quizzes and learning videos. Students can complete daily homework questions, revise work done in previous lessons at their school, browse past exam papers, get tips and advice to help them improve their marks, test their knowledge with assignments, download subject material, and watch content-related videos.

Back in 2014, when we launched the platform, our goal was simple – we wanted to enable learners to access curriculum-aligned content and educators’ learning materials on a smart device at no cost.

Fast forward to March 2020, the e-School portal proved invaluable for the scores of schoolgoing children forced to be at home on extended school break as the country grappled with the pandemic. At the pandemic’s height, user registration on the platform breached the one million mark, with registration numbers up by more than 1 000 per cent compared to previous historic periods. The platform now has over 1.2 million cumulative registered users. The platform successfully addressed a critical societal need over the past 18 months and continues to be of value in helping our youth reach their educational (and life) goals and assisting the DBE to meet its educational objectives.

The pandemic has shown that if we are to leverage technological innovations in education to promise a brighter future for all, including our youth affected in rural areas, we need to bridge the existing learning and resource divides.

For us at Vodacom, this means providing an enabling environment to access online learning and lending digital support through tools such as our e-School platform for both educators and learners so that no one is left behind in our journey towards a digital future.

The portal can be accessed through www.vodacom.co.za/e-school using a cellphone, tablet or laptop. Once registered, learners will enjoy unlimited access to educational content.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Vodacom website.

For more information: (+27) 11 653 5000 www.vodacom.com

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AC T I V ISM

IT’S TIME FOR INTENSE

INTERVENTION HERMIEN BOTES, head of sustainability engagement at Anglo American, says it’s time to rip off the plaster and address the real wounds of gender-based violence

is valued and respected for who they are and where they have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We want a workplace that offers all our stakeholders a safe, effective and enabling environment.

Bullying, harassment, victimisation and violence make it almost impossible for people to function at their best. They deprive people of their human rights and negatively affect their health, wellbeing, safety, security and, ultimately, their advancement in the workplace.

We all have the right to be in a workplace that’s free from bullying, harassment, victimisation and violence.

IMPACT OF THE INITIATIVES

As part of Mogalakwena Complex’s virtual event opposing GBV in honour of Mandela Day, contracting partner BME donated 100 food parcels to the Mahwelereng Victim Empowerment Centre. From left are: Mahwelereng Victim Empowerment Centre programme co-ordinator Dikeledi Mokonyane; BME manager Hendrik Mokunutu; and Mahwelereng SAPS’s Sergeant Caroline Sebata.

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n the mining industry, physical injuries are visible, acknowledged and meticulously reported, and reduction targets are generally linked to pay schemes. Sexual harassment, however, generally goes undocumented – and often unseen. We don’t talk about it. We don’t admit that it happens. Yet all the research points to the fact that up to 70 per cent of women globally experience some form of sexual harassment at work.

Safety is the catchword in the mining sector, it’s part of a relentless drive towards zero harm. However, for females in the mining workforce (12 per cent), safety means more than just managing the risk of physical harm during operation, it also involves the invisible threat of sexual harassment and gender-based violence (GBV).

We need to talk about and address these issues with the same intensity that we do with occupational health and safety issues.

ANGLO AMERICAN’S GBV INITIATIVES In 2019, we launched the Living with Dignity programme, which aims to combat GBV across our operations and host communities.

It was launched to coincide with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and includes a range of GBV interventions that aim to ensure safe spaces such as Safe Workplaces, Safe Homes, Safe Schools, Safe Communities.

The programme is run in collaboration with government, civil society partners and nongovernmental organisations. Recognising that the root causes of GBV are complex and related to deeply embedded beliefs of male superiority, we must, if we want to resolve GBV issues, include various partners from different sectors.

Anglo American’s inclusion and diversity (I&D) initiatives for employees aim to create an inclusive environment where every colleague

FOR FEMALES IN THE MINING WORKFORCE (12 PER CENT), SAFETY MEANS MORE THAN JUST MANAGING THE RISK OF PHYSICAL HARM DURING OPERATION, IT ALSO INVOLVES THE INVISIBLE THREAT OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.

It is early days, but Anglo American is undergoing radical transformation. We have started to talk about psychological safety as an equal partner to physical safety.

Conversations about mental health are no longer taboo. Through our “Living with Dignity” programme, we have drawn a line in the sand. No more. Not in our mines, and not in our mining communities.

When COVID-19 lockdowns hit countries globally at the beginning of 2020, Living with Dignity focused on strengthening the support for victims of violence in the communities in which we operate. This support has since evolved in many of our communities, and it is an opportune time to reflect on learnings and consolidate this work further and to build on and expand partnerships to reach an integrated strategic approach to eradicating gender-based violence and sexual harassment. We worked closely with the National Shelter Movement in supporting GBV shelters, particularly in our host communities, and our efforts intensified over the past year as the pandemic further exacerbated this issue in the country.

In 2020, we reviewed and updated our policies and procedures relating to GBV and sexual harassment across our business units in South Africa. The revised policy will be supported by an independent, victim-centric, GBV support function with expert capability in investigation, counselling and advice.

We continue to work with the National Shelter Movement and UN Women to support over 20 shelters in host communities with food parcels, personal protective equipment and financial aid for basics like data and transportation. Further to this, De Beers Group and Anglo American Platinum are also supporting infrastructure improvements and working with NGO partners to build capacity at shelters.

It is high time that we, as an industry, are serious about GBV-related safety in the workplace. “Safety in the workplace” isn’t a slogan, but something we should all be taking a stand on and fighting for every day.”

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EDUCAT ION

SECURING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ANÉL LEWIS takes a look at the meaningful social investment initiatives by Assupol and Accenture

ASSUPOL COMMUNITY TRUST:

SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

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he Early Childhood Development (ECD) media report released earlier this year by Statistics South Africa revealed that in 2018, around 43 per cent of three year olds, close to 30 per cent of four year olds and 13 per cent of five year olds were not in any educational institutions. Early childhood development centres were forced to close in 2020 because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, many have been unable to reopen due to financial constraints, so the number of children not benefitting from any early education is likely to be far higher.

The Assupol Community Trust supports the National Development Plan’s call for universal access to early childhood development for all children up to the age of five by 2030, with its corporate social investment (CSI) focus on providing quality educational services, particularly in poor communities. “Research indicates that early childhood development is key to the development of any nation. However, many children from poor communities lack access to quality early childhood development services,” says Dr Vuyelwa Nhlapo, CEO of the Assupol Community Trust.

“This disadvantages them at a critical point in their development and perpetuates cycles of poverty and exclusion.”

Assupol formed the Community Trust Dr Vuyelwa Nhlapo in 2010 to support ECD services in Nellmapius in the City of Tshwane and in the local municipalities of Msinga and Nquthu in the uMzinyathi District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Nhlapo says 85 per cent of these communities were policyholders insured under group schemes underwritten by Assupol

“RESEARCH INDICATES THAT EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IS KEY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANY NATION.” –

DR VUYELWA NHLAPO, ASSUPOL COMMUNITY TRUST

Life. The trust now supports 268 day mothers and playgroup facilitators and 156 ECD centres.

It also engages with communities to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood development, says Nhlapo. Much of the work done by the trust is the training of ECD practitioners to improve the quality of education.

“The ECD centres within our three designated areas are mainly run by women working independently. They started ECD centres as a passion and a means of making an income, but did not have the relevant skills to stimulate the children,” says Nhlapo. Quality teaching

is essential for effective early development, she notes. The trust therefore trains ECD practitioners, day mothers and playgroup facilitators through various programmes.

Nhlapo acknowledges that COVID-19 and ECD closures in 2020 hampered the trust’s ability to deliver on its mandate to support the government in accelerating universal access to ECD. “Since remote learning was not an option for the majority of families within the trust’s designated areas, children were often understimulated, and gains achieved in previous years regressed significantly,” she explains.

The trust was compelled to shift its focus to short-term support for those communities most affected by ECD closures. It spent R1.9-million on paying monthly stipends to ECD staff affected by a loss of income, daily operational costs at 95 ECD centres and provided personal protective equipment to more than 200 centres.

ACCENTURE AND CE3

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he pandemic has highlighted the plight of many communities that do not have access to technology or the internet.

Electricity and connectivity to the internet “can determine if a community will be sustainable into the future or not”, says Khethiwe Nkuna, executive head of corporate citizenship and inclusion and diversity for Accenture in Africa. With this as its CSI focus, the company, in partnership with the University of Notre Dame and the Rural Development company, co-developed a self-sustaining energy model known as Connectivity, Electricity and Education for Entrepreneurship (CE3).

CE3 harnesses digital technologies, such as the internet of things (IoT), to help rural communities access electricity and internet, as well as educational resources. The project started with the opening of CE3 labs in Ndumo, where CE3 energy is powering

irrigation for a cooperative and its neighbouring farmers, and in Mansomini, in KwaZulu-Natal.

The CE3 project has benefitted upwards of 2 500 youth since its inception in 2016.

Nkuna says its work has become increasingly more important as many small businesses closed down during the pandemic. “The unemployment rate also continues Khethiwe to rise, with the Nkuna latest figures from StatsSA showing that over 34 per cent of the population is unemployed. The CE3 project is now more important than ever to stimulate entrepreneurship, connect communities and equip community members with the necessary ICT skills to accelerate local economic growth,” she adds.

CE3 HARNESSES DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, SUCH AS THE INTERNET OF THINGS, TO HELP RURAL COMMUNITIES ACCESS ELECTRICITY AND INTERNET, AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. CSI

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CORPORATE SOUTH AFRICA TACKLES

SA’S DEEPENING LITERACY CRISIS South Africa is facing a national reading and writing crisis, which could result in a greater lack of opportunities for the youth, keeping them locked in poverty. Fortunately, several corporate businesses have initiated literacy intervention programmes. ANÉL LEWIS takes a look at some of these

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Educational publisher Oxford University Press has heeded the call to support literacy as a whole by developing texts according to locally developed reading levels, says Barbara Strydom, lead publisher: schools languages. Its fl agship reading scheme, Aweh!, has been purpose-built for the local market. The vocabulary used in the text is based on wordlists created by looking at locally spoken and written words and words found in the Foundation Phase classroom and needed for the Intermediate Phase classroom.

“The Aweh! readers are a hybrid between a picture book (the books you buy at a bookshop or find at the library with full-page artwork) and a traditional graded reader. Because the majority of our children are not exposed to picture books at home, Aweh! gives them access to fun, child-centred artwork that helps develop their imagination,” says Strydom.

The stories also cover 12 genres of literature and are linked to the Foundation Phase Life Skills topics. “As literacy means being able to read, speak and write successfully, a creative writing activity is included at the end of each reader.”

Barbara Oxford University Press also provides free workshops Strydom to thousands of teachers every year. The workshops, run by the publisher’s Institute of Professional Development for Educators, aim to improve the teaching of literacy in the Foundation Phase and beyond.

Through its Reading Support Project in the North West, Oxford University Press in collaboration with the National Department of Basic Education and other NGOs (and funded by United States Agency for International Development), has helped more than 2 300 teachers and heads of departments and over 77 000 learners in the Foundation Phase manage their literacy challenges. The research-based sustainable intervention includes the development of daily lesson plans, training on best practice teaching skills to teach English as a First Additional Language and the provision of the minimum required reading materials. “The research is continuing, and we believe a whole generation of learners have benefitted from this project (2017–2020) through easing the switch of learning through English as a medium of instruction when they move to Grade 4 and onwards,” says Strydom.

FEMEF: PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Literacy and numeracy, especially in the Foundation Phase, has been identified by the FEM Education Foundation NPC (FEMEF) as a “binding constraint that if not sorted, will hold back the improvement in school education” in South Africa.

“With this in mind, the FEMEF invests in partners that will make significant differences in promoting educational and leadership development,” says Ndivhuwo Manyonga, CEO of the Federated Employers Mutual (FEM) Assurance Company.

It has been supporting Funda Wande, a nonprofit organisation that trains Foundation Phase teachers to help vulnerable learners read for meaning and calculate with confidence in their home language by the age of 10, since 2018. “Our focus is on under-resourced areas requiring development in education. Many of our projects are run at schools in quintiles 1 to 3 (no-fee schools), in areas that are not funded or underfunded,” Ndivhuwo says Manyonga. “We also Manyonga value organisations that have a strong partnership with the government, that have a national or regional reach and projects that can be scaled.”

SANLAM INVESTS IN EARLY LEARNING The financial services group has over the last three years supported literacy programmes in 22 non-fee-paying primary schools countrywide. More than 170 000 learners have benefitted from Sanlam’s R9-million investment over this period, says Nozizwe Vundla, head of the Sanlam Foundation. “South Africa is in a reading-for-meaning crisis. Reading for meaning goes hand in hand with numeracy. We have therefore partnered with reputable NGOs to equip learners with a solid foundation in early learning.”

Vundla says the foundation has adopted a new education strategy that will focus on early childhood education, including the improvement of literacy in Home Languages, reading for comprehension, access to curriculum-based resources and teacher support for Grades 1 to 10. She adds that the pandemic has highlighted inequalities within the education system. “Lack of infrastructure, hardware and connectivity has been a challenge in the quintile 1 to 3 schools that the Sanlam Foundation supports.”

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hildren should be able to read and write with understanding in their home language by the age of 10, says the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). It argues in its September 2021 report, Right to Read and Write, that reading and writing is a condition of the right to basic education as enshrined in the Constitution. However, South Africa is facing a deepening literacy crisis where 78 per cent of Grade 4 learners are unable to read for meaning in their mother tongue, let alone a second language. According to the Progress in International Reading Study (2016), South Africa was the poorest performing country of the 50 countries scored. The situation has most certainly deteriorated since the pandemic, which resulted in school closures for much of the 2020 academic year. As such, interventions and partnerships to support literacy in the Foundation Phase are critical.

L I T ER ACY

PROGRESSION FOCUSES ON BREAKING BARRIERS

Lungisa Fuzile

STANDARD BANK’S LOCAL INITIATIVE PARTNERSHIPS

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The pandemic catalysed Standard Bank’s collaboration with the Nal’ibali reading campaign in 2020.

In response to school disruptions, the partnership launched a relief project to help communities in Gauteng and Limpopo. A network of trained literacy experts supported 120 families by sharing stories and resources to support the curriculum through an interactive WhatsApp group.

Standard Bank has also partnered with Shine Literacy, an early intervention programme that focuses on reading support, to develop a data-free mobi-site called Story Time. Users can access the site, which includes 35 titles in isiZulu, isiXhosa, English, Afrikaans and French, for free.

Since April 2021, the site has had 10 000 visitors from 41 countries.

“As a bank, we want to grow human capital and connect in meaningful ways with fellow South Africans. That is why we have partnered with local initiatives to ensure activities are available to learners,” says Lungisa Fuzile, chief executive of Standard Bank South Africa.

“AS A BANK, WE WANT TO GROW HUMAN CAPITAL AND CONNECT IN MEANINGFUL WAYS WITH FELLOW SOUTH AFRICANS. THAT IS WHY WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH LOCAL INITIATIVES TO ENSURE ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE TO LEARNERS.” – LUNGISA FUZILE, STANDARD BANK

Disability management solutions company Progression has its CSI focus on improving educational opportunities for children with disabilities. “Currently, SA has the highest inequality in the world. This translates to many children in rural communities not being able to access a fair start when it comes to learning, nutrition and the opportunity to develop,” says Beth Cook, CEO of Progression. The company has partnered with Siyawkazi, a community-based organisation that supports learners with barriers to learning in KwaZulu-Natal’s rural communities.

“Progression has supported Siyakwazi with its work in bringing inclusion into rural communities and enabling children with disabilities to access the necessary support they need, including access to Early Child Development (ECD) centres. There are still many stigmas surrounding people with disabilities, but awareness initiatives have improved Siyakwazi’s relationships within the local community,” says Cook.

She adds that many children in rural communities do not have a fair start because of their poor access to learning, nutrition and the opportunity to develop. “The hope is that both the private and public sectors will leverage investment to address these inequalities. The mobilisation of resources continues to be a challenge rather than just the challenge of perceptions,” says Cook.

“MANY CHILDREN IN RURAL COMMUNITIES DO NOT HAVE A FAIR START BECAUSE OF THEIR POOR ACCESS TO LEARNING, NUTRITION AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP.” – BETH COOK, PROGRESSION

Beth Cook

VEDANTA ZINC’S POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION Mining company Vedanta Zinc International (VZI) has identifi ed education as its most significant corporate social responsibility investment for Black Mountain Mine in the Northern Cape. Through its support of six early childhood development centres, six primary schools and three high schools, the company has made a positive contribution to the education of almost 4 000 learners. “At Vedanta Zinc, we are committed to creating sustainable futures for our people and communities in a zero-harm environment,” says Pieter van Greunen, Gamsberg general manager at VZI. “We believe that our investment in ECD plays a significant role in ensuring that the youngest in our host communities don’t start their lives at a disadvantage.” Black Mountain Mine has also enrolled 30 schools from the broader Namakwa District in the Hey Math! and Hey Science! online programmes to encourage a better outcome for Pieter van learners in these subjects.

Greunen Van Greunen says school closures hit the region particularly hard where students lack access to digital learning resources or the resilience and engagement to learn on their own. “As part of our COVID-19 support, we placed considerable focus on education. The Hey Maths! and Hey Science! projects were started during these challenging times.”

“WE BELIEVE THAT OUR INVESTMENT IN ECD PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE YOUNGEST in OUR HOST COMMUNITIES DON’T START THEIR LIVES AT A DISADVANTAGE.” – PIETER VAN GREUNEN, VEDANTA ZINC INTERNATIONAL

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CHANGING THE REALITIES OF

the MOST VULNERABLE CARYN GOOTKIN speaks to changemakers involved in five charitable foundations to find out how they are helping the communities they serve

Founded by Siya and Rachel Kolisi, the Kolisi Foundation aims to change the narratives of inequality in South Africa through investments in research, and projects in food security, gender-based violence, education and sports development. It supports people living in under-resourced communities in South Africa by providing resources, facilitating capacity-building and horizontal learning exchanges, and mobilising and advocating for systemic change.

“Our motto, ‘Remember the one, one by one’, encompasses the power of the ripple effect that one individual can bring about,” says Ncedo Koyana, programme co-ordinator for education and sports development at the foundation. “Siya and Rachel believe that ‘every little small act of change matters’ and this principle guides all that we do.”

The foundation recently partnered with Roche to distribute a book aimed at teaching children about COVID-19. “In a simple, colourful and inviting way, the book Keto and Zuri Learn About Covid-19 paints a clear picture for the reader of how to form healthy habits during this pandemic,” says Koyana.

“In the book, Keto and Zuri learn practical and valuable guidelines to encourage behaviour such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, social distancing, and isolating if you feel sick. This book Ncedo captures these concepts in a child-friendly way Koyana and is a useful resource for families.”

THE KOLISI FOUNDATION AIMS TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVES OF INEQUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH, AND PROJECTS IN FOOD SECURITY, GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, EDUCATION AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT. 24

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DOWNLOAD KETO AND ZURI LEARN ABOUT COVID-19

THE PEPSICO FOUNDATION The PepsiCo Foundation invests globally in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities by focusing on alleviating hunger, managing Silvia water and waste responsibly and Cruz-Vargas supporting women as champions of nutrition.

Silvia Cruz-Vargas, director of international programmes at The PepsiCo Foundation, says: “Access to safe water is at the heart of PepsiCo’s global water strategy, in which we strive for long-term, sustainable water security for our business and others who depend on water availability. Water is a human right, and access to safe water is one of the most urgent global challenges we must tackle.”

In South Africa, the foundation works with nonprofit organisations (NPOs) to create greater societal impact by increasing access to clean and safe sanitation for everyone in South Africa. Earlier this year, it partnered with the Water Research Commission, World Wide Fund for Nature, National Business Initiative, and Save our Schools to provide safe access to water and sanitation in vulnerable communities across South Africa. Recently, PepsiCo launched a $1-million programme with WaterAid to provide access to safe water to sub-Saharan Africa. “This programme comes at a critical time as the COVID-19 Delta variant threatens water-stressed communities that have little to no access to proper sanitation,” says Cruz-Vargas.

PEPSICO’S FEEDING POTENTIAL VIDEO:

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THE KOLISI FOUNDATION

The PepsiCo Foundation has invested in bringing water access and sanitation projects to South Africa.

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F OUNDAT IONS MOMENTUM METROPOLITAN FOUNDATION THE KAY MASON FOUNDATION

THE AMY FOUNDATION

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The Amy Foundation (previously The Amy Biehl Foundation) runs programmes to educate and develop over 1 000 children and youth from the townships in Cape Town by offering them healthy alternatives to all the negative influences within their communities. By unlocking their creative talent and potential, the foundation is helping to create future emotionally well-rounded leaders and entrepreneurs for South Africa.

“We supplement the shortcomings of the South African education system by ensuring learners do not drop out of school and fall into gangs, violence, crime and teen pregnancy,” says Kevin Chaplin, MD of The Amy Foundation.

“This helps them to cope with the huge inadequacies within their communities and reduces unemployment and poverty in our country.”

The Amy Foundation Youth Skills Development Kevin Chaplin Programme for township youth (aged 18–35) operates from a centre in Sybrand Park, with many youths coming from Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s biggest township. “We provide a holistic and sustainable skills development programme for school leavers and unemployed youth from the townships, which includes being placed in employment with our corporate and business partners or trained and assisted to start their own business,” says Chaplin. “The programme develops learners for the world of work and entrepreneurship in the disciplines of hospitality, beauty and wellness, technical and handyman skills, sewing and design, retail readiness, and entrepreneurship. We have had tremendous success since the programme began in 2016: 1 023 students have been placed in employment or internships and 36 new businesses were started (since 2019) with continued coaching and mentoring. The fact that we are achieving these results under extremely difficult circumstances shows what is possible,” says Chaplin.

SUCCESS STORIES

The Kay Mason Foundation’s (KMF) mission is to develop well-educated, self-aware and positive citizens, change agents, and leaders through the provision of schooling and social and personal development support to disadvantaged teens in Cape Town.

“Unlike many other programmes, our junior scholars are not selected on academic performance alone,” says Lauren Bright, CEO of the Kay Mason Foundation. “We recruit talented applicants in financial need who can recognise the opportunity that is offered and respond with determination, enthusiasm and commitment. Each junior scholar has a tailor-made development plan that takes into account not only their academic needs, but also their psychosocial needs and personal development, which have been majorly altered by the pandemic.”

KMF’s bursary scholars receive ongoing academic and psychosocial support throughout their high school years. “Often bright learners are given scholarships but lack the necessary support to make the most of them,” says Bright. “We offer student support groups, one-on-one mentoring, ongoing developmental workshops, educational camps, career workshops, parent workshops and more. Given the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the financial wellbeing of families in our poorer communities, this year’s recruitment process and scholarship programmes will play an even bigger role in ensuring that learners have access to quality education.”

KMF recently launched a Career Catapult Programme – a virtual and in-person programme that aims to improve the job readiness of South Africa’s youth by giving them the skills and opportunities they need to secure their first job. “The focus by national government and many NPOs on getting young people to complete their schooling often neglects the critical next step: finding meaningful employment in the face of numerous challenges,” says Bright.

GET INVOLVED

The Momentum Metropolitan Foundation exists to enable the life aspirations and sustainable earning potential of disadvantaged young people in South Africa through youth employment programmes; job placement, enabling access to income-generating opportunities; financial education; and staff volunteerism. “To boost youth employment, we are in long-term partnerships with ten dynamic organisations – WeThinkCode, Life Choices Coding Academy, Rhiza Babuyile, Ubuntu Pathways, QASA, Agri Enterprises, Lulaway, Sparrow Schools, PrimeStars and ITvarsity – that provide future-thinking skills training and sustainable job-creation opportunities for young people across the country,” says Anneke Hanekom, head of Reputation, PR, CSI for Momentum Metropolitan.

“Our financial education programmes are geared towards high school learners Anneke and young adults about Hanekom to enter the world of work and facilitate access to the benefits of sound money management. The pandemic forced us to move our training onto digital platforms and so we can now reach tens of thousands more learners.”

Momentum Metropolitan understands that doing good is not only good for communities, but also for the business, for the individuals taking positive action, and for South Africa as a whole.

“We enable our employees to make a positive difference in several ways,” says Hanekom.

“Through payroll giving, we match whatever amount an employee gives. We also run innovative events to enable employees to share their skills with NPOs, matching every hour that an employee gives in Rands.”

RHIZA BABUYILE MOMENTUM METROPOLITAN FOUNDATION

FAST FACT

The reason so many foundations focus on educating and equipping the youth for employment is that South Africa’s youth unemployment figures present a grim picture.

The official unemployment rate among young people (15–34 years) in the first quarter of 2021 was a staggering 46.3 per cent – almost one in every two young people.

Source: Stats SA: Quarterly Labour Force Survey Quarter 1: 2021

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SECURING FOOD FOR THE FUTURE

Corporate South Africa invests heavily in ensuring food security for the country’s people, a role that has become increasingly more important over the last 18 months, writes TREVOR CRIGHTON

S

outh Africa is generally a food-secure country on a national level on account of its production and export levels. Food security, though, is about more than adequate supply – it requires accessibility, affordability, nutrition and stability over time.

Our country’s longstanding poverty problem means that the poorest people in the country cannot afford the abundant, nutritious food that is available. Consumer food price inflation was at 6.8 per cent year on year in May 2021 – less than the double-digit inflation seen in years

of drought, but exacerbated by job losses and additional income challenges posed by COVID-19 lockdowns.

Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) do plenty of work in supporting the country’s most vulnerable people – and the food security space is no different. To be effective, though, they need support from corporates. Several companies in South Africa have partnered with reputable NGOs to attempt to help keep the country’s most food-insecure people fed.

POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS Woolworths and FoodForward SA have been in a food security partnership since 2018, with funding from the retailer serving as a key enabler of the organisation’s expansion strategy. FoodForward SA (FFSA) is a food bank, established in 2009 to address widespread hunger in South Africa. The organisation connects a world of excess to a world of need by recovering quality edible surplus food from the consumer goods supply chain and distributing it to community organisations that serve the poor.

The partnership between Woolworths and FoodForward SA (FFSA) was initially a donation of R3-million over a three-year period, which has since been renewed and extended for another three years. “In true Woolworths style, we get involved beyond monetary donation – we partner

Rawsonville community in the heart of the Cape Winelands receiving much-needed Woolworths food parcels.

and get our hands dirty. Specialist teams in the business have provided guidance on different aspects such as food processing and food safety, among others,” says Zinzi Mgolodela, Woolworths director of corporate affairs.

“Over and above the financial support, the partnership also sees Woolworths stores participate in the FFSA foodshare app. The partnership with FoodForward SA helps the Woolworths Trust to realise its mission, which is to make a meaningful impact in local communities by supporting programmes that improve food security and uplift education.”

One of the FFSA programmes supported with the Woolworths funding provides meaningful employment opportunities to previously unemployed youth, thereby supporting long-term change.

Sustainability can be a thorny issue in the NGO space in any area, something of which Woolworths is aware.

“We acknowledge that providing people with food care parcels is not sustainable and permanent solutions to support people’s livelihoods enabling them to secure their own supply of food is critical. But here in South Africa, we are faced with the immediate challenges of hunger, so it is necessary to do both – immediate food relief and identify opportunities to empower and support our

Gift of the Givers is a long-term relief partner of Woolworths.

food systems for long-term food security.

This balancing act is reflected in our food security programmes,” says Mgolodela.

Gift of the Givers is Woolworths’s long-term disaster relief partner and the company has been actively involved in supporting the organisation’s distribution of food care parcels, particularly to people directly impacted by COVID-19. “While we recognise that the distribution of food care parcels is not sustainable, devastatingly many people’s livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic and they require immediate assistance,” says Mgolodela.

“We have invited our customers, employees, business partners and suppliers into this particular COVID-19 response initiative for broader and more meaningful impact. We leveraged on the fact that a lot of people in the country wanted to help at this time, our ‘Fill a Bag’ campaign provided a co-ordinated platform for giving.”

Zinzi Mgolodela

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F OOD REL IEF

DISTRIBUTING SURPLUS PRODUCE HelloChoice and Standard Bank launched their OneFarm Share pilot project in November 2020 after five months of planning.

HelloChoice is a digital platform that multiplies food donations and streamlines procurement directly from farmers and food producers to registered charity organisations. Standard Bank subsequently acquired 25 per cent equity stake in HelloChoice in August 2021.

“HelloChoice collaborates with audited and established food distribution partners, such as FoodForward SA and SA Harvest. The platform helps farmers get their surplus produce to the relief market fast and effectively by providing transport, logistics and warehousing support,” says Wendy Pienaar, head of ecosystems and group innovation at Standard Bank. As of the end of August 2021,

3 200 tonnes of produce have been directed to those in need; 980 of these delivered in August alone. This equates to 12.8 million meals, feeding 1 million people countrywide.

Beneficiary organisations (750 of them) are supported by an incredible 90 contributors to the programme. These include 44 emerging farmers, 39 commercial farmers and 7 food processors, Pienaar explains.

The project has seen large commercial farmers come on board to donate excess production to the programme, in addition to the sustainable marketplaces it has created.

“Limpopo-based farm, Blydevallei, has been growing Wendy oranges and mangos for Pienaar 28 years. Through the OneFarm Share platform, and with the participation of the Citrus Growers Association’s Orange Heart Fruit Initiative,

“THE PLATFORM HELPS FARMERS GET THEIR SURPLUS PRODUCE TO THE RELIEF MARKET FAST AND EFFECTIVELY BY PROVIDING TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS AND WAREHOUSING SUPPORT.” – WENDY PIENAAR, STANDARD BANK

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FILLING THE TUMS OF SCHOOLGOERS Volkswagen South Africa is the biggest employer in the Eastern Cape, so it does plenty of community-based work in the province, however, its reach also extends nationally.

It has partnered with Rise Against Hunger – a global movement aiming to end hunger by empowering communities, nourishing lives and responding to emergencies – since 2016.

Volkswagen’s support is financial and because it is a transport company, it also provides vehicles to help distribute the food. “A lot of organisations obtain food from food banks and retailers, so the money we provide is something of a top-up to their efforts to assist families,” says VW Community Trust manager Vernon Naidoo.

Naidoo explains that, while Volkswagen South Africa’s CSI focus is on supporting educational projects, they quickly realised that hunger is a major hurdle in learning.

“A hungry family – or child – is one that struggles to learn,” he says. “We saw that a lot last year when children weren’t able to go to school under lockdown.

The meals that children receive at school are, in many cases, the only ones they’ll have that day. When schools closed, we had to find a way to help them.” VWSA invested to the tune of R600 000 in supplying prepacked Rise Against Hunger food packages to schools in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, delivering over 200 000 meals. “Each pack feeds up to six adults with nutritious Vernon Naidoo and balanced food – and has a long shelf-life – so we found those to be essential during lockdowns,” says Naidoo.

When it comes to tackling the sustainability question, he says that the company focuses on partnering with reputable organisations that already do plenty of sustainable work

they recently donated 45 tonnes of their delicious and nutritious oranges,” says Pienaar.

“The farm had surplus unpacked oranges.

Through the help of FoodForward SA and Citrus Growers Association, these were packed and sent to the distribution centre before going onward to the registered charities.”

The Blydevallei Farm team have been growing oranges and mangos for 28 years.

in communities. “We want these programmes to be sustainable, but, during lockdown, people couldn’t even get out to tend to farm projects. We’re in the pilot phase of looking at some sustainable projects that we’ll launch next year. But for the moment, hunger remains a challenge and we don’t look at the way we currently support our communities as a handout, but rather as an add-on.”

VWSA team

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Confidence Rule 60:

IF YOU BELIEVE IN IT, INVEST IN IT. Sanlam has been investing in people for more than 103 years – and we will continue to do so for centuries to come. That’s because our purpose is to empower generations to be financially secure, confident and prosperous.

Covid-19 support The Motsepe family, in partnership with companies including Sanlam and other oganisations associated with them, pledged

R1bn

to assist with the Covid-19 pandemic.

R531m

R463m

in excess claims paid by Sanlam Life and Savings.

to relief programmes for clients.

R246m

R255m for intermediary support.

Sanlam matched the staff contributions by donating R2.2m to food relief organisations in South Africa.

to various response initiatives.

R3m to Sanlam ESD programme beneficiaries.

R22bn

of mortality claims paid since the beginning of 2020, R10bn in the first 6 months of 2021.

More than 99%* of death claims paid in 2020, maintaining a 7-year record.

*Representative of the Sanlam Individual Life business

Financial literacy R77m

seeded to empower 61 000 people through financial literacy programmes since 2015.

Level 1 B-BBEE

Sanlam Gauge

This first-of-its-kind report was launched to measure the level of B-BBEE activity, commitment and success across all industries in SA.

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

From 2022, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will join the exclusive club of top global marathons through the recent announcement of its Abbott World Marathon Majors candidacy status.

R900bn

Total Sanlam Investment Group assets under management.

Sanlam is a Licensed Financial Services Provider.

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KINGJAMES 53796

Socio-economic development R209m

R35m

R137m

invested in the last 20 years in Takalani Sesame to reach millions of South African children.

in prize money distributed and about 500 000 children reached since 2010 via the Kay Motsepe Schools Cup.

benefiting nearly 560 000 children annually via literacy and numeracy programmes since 2017.

$1bn

committed through the partnership between Sanlam, Climate Fund Managers and FMO, a Dutch development bank, that invests in water, wind and solar energy.

Sustainable investing

R2.25bn committed to seed three impact funds.

R14bn in asset balances for empowerment financing.

R140.4bn

Sanlam Benchmark

market cap as of 7 September 2021.

Job creation and enterprise development

R63m invested in Enterprise and Supplier Development over the past 7 years: • creating 391 sustainable jobs.

• securing 2 427 existing jobs.

• contributing on average 21% to revenue growth of participating SMEs. In 2020, R3.7bn of procurement was spent with black-owned businesses, with R1.7bn to blackowned SMEs and R934m to black women-owned SMEs.

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R75m contributed to water security over 13 years with the WWF.

celebrated 40 years of research and enabling retirement funds, employers and intermediaries to empower members to live and retire with confidence.

6

6 years running

Certified Top Employer in South Africa* *Top Employers Institute

People, diversity and inclusion 20 319 SA employees

147 541

75% black employees 61% female employees

employees in over 44 countries

R345.5m invested in training and development in 2020.

2021/10/11 13:23

FROM THE SIDELINES ANTHONY SHARPE kicks off with three local initiatives supporting sporting development

r

esearch by CSI consultancy Trialogue indicates that one-fifth of companies supported sports development programmes in 2020. Somewhat disconcertingly, though, that amounted to a paltry two per cent of total CSI spend for the year. While the country faces myriad challenges worth supporting, sports development remains a vital element of a healthy society, which is why these programmes and challenges are flying the flag.

SAFA/TRANSNET FOOTBALL SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

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in the PSL, National First Division, Bafana Bafana, and international soccer teams. But they are equally proud of their academic alumni, says Likhethe. “Academically, names such as Phakamani Mahlambi, Siyabongakonke Mbatha, Aubrey Modiba, Deolin Makoa, Siphamandla Sabelo, Pfano Ramadzuli, and Richard Moremi, as well as a host of learners who graduated from North-West University in the past five years, are all a huge source of pride.”

Beyond the pitch, Likhethe says, the school works to create a social environment for learners, which is conducive to the promotion of integrated life skills development. “We aim to foster and sustain the behaviour and self-discipline standards expected of a footballer and respectable citizen.” On a broader level, the school aims to support the development of shared values and goals of key stakeholders, promote regional and international relations and interactions and, ultimately, promote the game of football.

Last year, former Bafana Bafana midfielder Steven Pienaar publicly lamented the fact that the school, in his view, had gone into decline, suggesting that government should step in to revive it. Likhethe acknowledges that the school has had challenges caused by several changes in leadership and board members. “It is encouraging to report that the full board of trustees has just been appointed, consisting of SAFA, Transnet, private sector, community, Department of Basic Education and SASCOC representatives. We have no doubt that this is the calibre of leadership needed to turn the school around and take it to its former glory and beyond.”

Parkview ProAM

STANDARD BANK GOLF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME It’s no secret that men’s sport gets more attention (and money) than women’s sport – here in South Africa, on the continent and across the rest of the world. That’s something the Standard Bank Golf Development Programme is hoping to change.

Initiated by Lifestyle Golf in association with the Women’s Professional Golf Association, the programme was launched at Serengeti Golf Estates in May this year. Lee-John Maans, Standard Bank’s head of client coverage for Gauteng, says the programme is designed to grow women’s golf on all levels and create opportunities for young females and women in South Africa to forge professional careers in the golf industry through playing ability, coaching and all aspects related to the business of golf.

“It was set up to take the game of golf directly to the girls while creating Lee-John Maans an interest and excitement for the game by generating support for these young players within their communities,” says Maans. “The programme also responds to the Standard Bank Pro-Am Series’ mission, which is to drive the development of female players at a grassroots level while empowering talented professional female golfers by creating opportunities for more playing time, thereby enabling them to hone their skills further.”

Maans says the programme targets girls who have never played golf before.

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The School of Excellence was founded in 1994 to provide opportunities to youngsters with the potential to play football. The school aims to identify football talented and academically competent young boys from previously disadvantaged communities and further their football and academic prowess, says Transnet Foundation head Molatwane Likhethe.

“The school functions as a close-knit society of soccer talent that is developed by excellent coaches and has a unique style of play to develop differential soccer players,” says Likhethe. “The school has an academic programme that accommodates the intense physical training and coaching of the boys enrolled at the school. The Department of Basic Education stipulates seven hours of academic time, followed by three hours of Molatwane Likhethe soccer training and development. This ensures that a balance between academic and soccer development is maintained.”

Talent identification is obviously a key element, with the school holding trials for Grade 7 and 8 learners across the country every year. “Information on the soccer trials is communicated on different media platforms to ensure that they have a massive reach,” explains Likhethe.

“Rural and farm school learners who are part of the Transnet Foundation Sport Development Programme are also given an opportunity to participate in the trials.”

Notably, the trial assessments focus on both football and academic abilities.

The school has produced more than 100 players who have gone on to play

SP OR T

Discovery Walter Sisulu Soccer Challenge Parkview ProAM

“It all started with a couple of fun days held in May where 60 children aged 7–16 attended an introductory golf session with women-only coaches.

This was then narrowed down to 30, who are progressing through three levels of coaching. Upon completion, their progress will be re-evaluated and every effort will be made to assist them in furthering their newfound skills and, ultimately, facilitate absorbing them into mainstream golf facilities.”

As to why the programme only supports female children, Maans says it is vital to enable growth, particularly among young girls, within the sports arena. “We want to grow and develop women’s golf in South Africa, creating champions like Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Branden Grace to compete on the international stage.

Women’s golf is under-rated and is long overdue; we have great talent, which lacks sponsorship and playing opportunities.

We are delighted to be the head sponsor of such an initiative, and to be making a difference in the lives of young girls very early in their lives and careers.

DISCOVERY WALTER SISULU SOCCER CHALLENGE Since 2002, Discovery and the family of Walter Sisulu have hosted the annual Discovery Walter Sisulu Soccer Challenge, which gives young players a platform to showcase their talent, at the Nike Training Centre in Soweto. Iona Maclean, head of experiential marketing and sponsorships at Discovery, says the overarching aim of the tournament is to honour late liberation leader and ANC stalwart Walter Sisulu by promoting his dream of soccer development.

“The tournament aligns with our core objectives of encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle,” says Maclean. “We choose to sponsor soccer because the beautiful game is not just kicking a football from one post to the other; it is a way of keeping fit and living an active lifestyle. Through our association with the tournament, we aim to motivate the community to move more and live more healthily, and to do so through their passion for soccer.

“The tournament also offers the Soweto community an opportunity to enjoy dazzling soccer right on their doorstep, while providing work prospects and entertainment during the December holidays when people are looking for fun things to do.”

More than just providing entertainment for locals, the challenge has been a proving ground for many a soccer star. “Kaizer Chiefs striker Siphiwe Tshabalala, Free State Stars and Bafana Bafana striker Edward Mngele, and Bafana Bafana and Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Thulani Serero are among those players who first made their football Iona mark at the challenge,” Maclean says Maclean. “Percy Tau, Keagan Dolly and Lyle Foster, who now play overseas, all showed their early talent at the tournament.”

Although the event was cancelled last year for safety reasons, Discovery is hopeful it can resume soon. “We are happy with the current format of the challenge and see it continuing to honour the legacy of Walter Sisulu,” says Maclean.

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CORPORATE SPORTS DEVELOPMENT BY THE NUMBERS Unsurprisingly, last year soccer received the greatest amount of corporate support by far (58 per cent), following by multidisciplinary (12 per cent), basketball and netball (11 per cent), water-based sports (6 per cent), athletics (4 per cent), golf (4 per cent), nonspecific general donations (3 per cent), rugby (1 per cent) and cycling (1 per cent).

Source: Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2020

Lifting silverware at the Discovery Walter Sisulu Soccer Challenge.

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EN V IRONMEN T

PIONEERING CONSERVATION INTERVENTIONS

Common dolphins in Algoa Bay.

As the WWF Nedbank Green Trust celebrates 30 years, MIKE BROWN, chief executive of Nedbank Group and deputy chair of Business Leadership South Africa, shares why conserving the environment is a key focus of the bank

PIONEERING AND PURPOSE-LED PROJECTS The WWF Nedbank Green Trust has pioneered breakthroughs and achievements at a policy level, such as having South Africa’s strategic water source areas written into legislation.

FAST FACT

All the projects initiated by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust can be explored in a book published to celebrate the trust’s 30 years of existence.

Source: https://www.greentrust.org. za/2021/06/11/celebrating-30-yearsof-conservation/.

One of our long-term conservation partnerships focuses on prioritising water security, reducing land degradation through conservation grazing and improving livestock farming opportunities for rural communities, with a project in the Matatiele district of Eastern Cape. This region is home to the Umzimvubu Catchment, the third-largest river system in Southern Africa and a strategic water source area. The project builds on the successes of the Matatiele-based organisation, Environmental Rural Solutions, and has seen the creation of more than 600 jobs in the area, increased incomes in over 1 100 households, alien vegetation clearing on 1 500 hectares of land and the associated replenishment of 1.9 billion litres of water in the system.

Other initiatives include our partnership with the South African National Biodiversity Institute in the development of South Africa’s network of marine protected areas, and the national environmental stewardship programme, initiated through the Enkangala Grassland Programme and the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, which has brought private and community landowners into the conservation arena.

Our Environmental Leaders Programme has, over the years, developed a pipeline of environmental postgraduates who go on to

THE TRUST IS FUNDED THROUGH THE NEDBANK GREEN AFFINITY, WHICH HAS RAISED MORE THAN R350-MILLION FOR OVER 200 COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION PROJECTS. 34

Paternoster crayfishers rowing the waves.

take up influential positions in all sectors as environmental and biodiversity sustainability is now mainstreamed within the economy, locally and globally.

As a purpose-led business, we are proud to play both a lending and an advocacy role in matters of sustainable development. We believe that the imperative to deliver a more prosperous society and the threat of climate change will lead to a fundamental reshaping of finance.

Nedbank embraces the Sustainable Development Goals and endorses the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, which guide our strategic direction. This era’s agenda is the call for massive change in a short time across the energy and transportation sectors, food systems and built environments. As a bank, we are encouraged to see our clients actively responding to this agenda and needing investment from us to do so. The WWF Nedbank Green Trust’s slogan, “igniting new ways for people and nature to thrive”, has never been more imperative than it is today.

HOW IT WORKS When a Nedbank Green Affinity client uses any of the Green Affinity banking and investment accounts or short-term insurance products, Nedbank donates to the WWF Nedbank Green Trust. The more clients use their Nedbank Green Affinity-linked accounts, the more money is donated, at no cost to them.

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n 1990, when few companies were talking green and sustainability was not yet a global priority, Nedbank recognised the signs of a looming natural resource crisis.

Realising the need to put corporate clout and capital behind sustainable development in South Africa, Nedbank started engaging with WWF-SA (The World Wide Fund for Nature).

This led to the creation of the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, based on the principle that business, government and communities need to come together to accelerate environmental conservation and sustainability in South Africa.

The trust is funded through the Nedbank Green Affinity, which has raised more than R350-million for over 200 community-based conservation projects, including climate, energy, freshwater, land, food security, wildlife, oceans and environmental leadership. The projects define a world that respects all people and natural resources to help build a better future for all.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust funded vegetable garden projects and a major food redistribution project that recovers surplus food from farmers, manufacturers and retailers to distribute to vulnerable people throughout South Africa.

This is vital in a country where 10 million tonnes of food – one-third of the 31 million tonnes produced in South Africa annually – go to waste and end up in landfills every year.

Meanwhile, a quarter of our population goes hungry every day, with another quarter at risk.

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PROF IL E: S T JO SEPH’S HOME

HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE

FOR MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN St Joseph’s Home in Cape Town, a nonprofit paediatric intermediate care facility, has been providing children with holistic healthcare for 86 years. THANDO PATO explores the home’s history, fundraising challenges and the impact of COVID-19

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ver the last 85 years, St Joseph’s Home in Montana, Cape Town has provided medical care, rehabilitation and psychosocial support to 23 000 children from surrounding areas. What started as a passion project for five Pallottine Sisters from Germany back in 1935, is now a fully fledged, multidisciplinary facility for ill children, from birth to 18 years.

“Our goal is to provide holistic, family-centred, intermediate care to children experiencing life-threatening and life-limiting conditions so that they can return to their homes, school, and community at their optimal level of functioning,” says CEO Christelle Cornelius.

St Joseph’s Home was founded in response to the severe impact of tuberculosis on children in the community, exacerbated by extreme poverty. “In response, Sister Pankratia and five Sisters from Germany started the St Joseph’s community. On the 3 October 1935, 11 children arrived and others followed.”

Cornelius says the sisters were primarily nursing the critically ill, but soon recognised the need to include education. In its early years, the home was supported by the church, local parishes, Community Chest, and donations from surrounding neighbourhoods. In 1950, the home received a generous government grant and was able to extend its services and construct a therapy pool.

In 1964, the group areas act declared Phillipi a “black area” and alternate accommodation was required. This resulted in the formalisation of the Pallottine Order and allowed for the registration of a company to secure financing to build at the new site in an undeclared area, now known as Montana.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THE HOME HAS REMAINED TRUE TO ITS FOUNDING ETHOS OF RESPONDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE TIME IN CHRISTIAN LOVE.

In 1967, the facility moved to New Phillipi and in 1972, St Joseph’s was registered as a health facility. In 1986, a school was added.

CHALLENGES and CHANGES Throughout the years, the home has remained true to its founding ethos of responding to the needs of the time in Christian love. Cornelius says that from the late ’80s infectious diseases and the response to the HIV epidemic became central to the home’s care model.

“Trauma-related life-limiting conditions and neurological conditions also increased and the need for specialised staffi ng became urgent.”

The 175-bed facility has a 137-strong staff complement comprising nurses, therapists, social workers, educational support, youth care workers and the Pallottine Sisters. These areas of expertise are vital in ensuring St Joseph’s purpose of providing a child-centred model of healthcare. “At St Joseph’s, children have access to 24-hour nursing care, therapy and education while they recover and prepare to reintegrate into their environments,” Cornelius explains.

Running costs for the six-ward facility amount to R43-million a year. The home is a registered nonprofit and receives some funding from the Department of Health but largely depends on donations from the public.

“We don’t have any corporate sponsors currently and rely on donations and support from organisations,

“OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE HOLISTIC, FAMILY-CENTRED, INTERMEDIATE CARE TO CHILDREN EXPERIENCING LIFE-THREATENING AND LIFE-LIMITING CONDITIONS SO THAT THEY CAN RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY AT THEIR OPTIMAL LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING.” – CHRISTELLE CORNELIUS

trusts, foundations and our fundraising efforts like the Happy Nappy Drive.

“In 2014, we were fortunate to receive a generous donation that enabled the renovation of wards and therapy areas, resulting in greater opportunities for excellent care and best patient outcomes,” says Cornelius.

The COVID-19 pandemic is hindering some fundraising efforts and impacting the facility’s volunteer programme. “How we provided care changed completely with all the new protocols for engagement, which spanned the entire organisation, from contact activities to cleaning protocols and volunteer engagement.

A critical component of our service is engaging with families and caregivers to better patient outcomes. During the higher-level lockdowns, parent visits had to be reduced and until now are only offered under supervision. This is difficult for children, their families and staff.”

Despite these challenges St Joseph’s goal has not changed: “Every child who is medically fragile has the right to excellent holistic healthcare, delivered in the spirit of Christian love and devotion,” says Cornelius. “We will always strive to be a centre of excellence in paediatric intermediate care and remain indispensable to the community we serve. We believe that God’s grace has given us the privilege of retaining our values and vision for the last 86 years.”

ST JOSEPH’S HOME: WHAT WE DO

Christelle Cornelius

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