3 minute read
The foundation that gives 100
from Spotong Issue 26
by 3S Media
THE FOUNDATION THAT GIVES 100% A vision to create an educated society of successful contributors
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The 100% Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a difference – 100% of its income goes directly to its beneficiaries, which include various early childhood development centres and primary schools in communities in the informal sector on the East Rand.
The organisation was established by Affinity Health in 2016 as a CSI initiative with the vision “to create an educated society of successful contributors”. Janap Biemba, the senior development & projects coordinator of 100% Foundation, who has a strong background in humanitarian work in feeding schemes and teaching children, says that while the bulk of their funding comes directly from companies within Affinity Enterprises, their aim is to source additional funding and support from other companies to increase their impact in disadvantaged areas, building infrastructure, promoting education, and providing food security. “100% Foundation evolved as we started working with children in informal settlements in the Benoni area where Affinity’s head office is located. The group soon recognised the dire need for greater focus specifically on early childhood development within these poverty-stricken communities and we formalised the organisation,” explains Biemba, who works with an associate, Phumzile Skosana, the development & project coordinator, on the 100% Foundation projects. ECD centres and schools have been "adopted" by the Foundation and various programmes have been implemented that include practitioner and educator upskilling and training, nutritional advice and support, working with community volunteers to support literacy and other programmes, identifying and supporting other local NGOs registered with the Department of Social Development in the communities, equipping libraries, and more. The Foundation is teaching children English in the informal settlements along the N12 “because English is the international language of business, and by learning it, these children will have a good foundation for future career opportunities,” says Janap. The Foundation has also implemented Vivlia training kits for the educators to empower them to improve their teaching skills and to provide muchneeded resources for the school.
In the Chief Albert Luthuli area, the team found that an alarming number of foundation phase learners were unable to read or write in their home languages by the time they transitioned to intermediate phase, resulting in the implementation of the Siyaphumelela Literacy project, which engages parents and educators in literacy and numeracy development, equips and supports ECD practitioners and foundation phase educators, and nurtures a reading culture among children. This concept has extended to involving volunteer "gogos" in the communities to assist with weekly literacy classes. The 100% Foundation is working with Care for Education, one of the foundation’s benefactors, who are rolling out Lego-block based teaching programs to district schools, with the intention of introducing these programs countrywide in collaboration with the Education Department. The team’s efforts have also resulted in a library being established at Chief Albert Luthuli Primary School in Cloverdene through book donations from staff, NPOs and other supporters; extensive nutritional feeding schemes at various ECD centres; working with and mentoring single mothers; and more. As an NPO, the 100% Foundation is managed by a board that includes three directors from Affinity Enterprises, and guarantees that all funding received is spent on approved projects within the informal settlements. “There is endless scope for more work to be done in these disadvantaged areas to give a greater number of children the opportunity for a better chance of a bright future – and we are constantly on the lookout for partners, supporters, donors, and volunteers to join us in our efforts to bring relief where there is great need,” says Janap.
