A COVID-19 RESPONSE

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Johannesburg Central Food Bank in Booysens, which was used to assist communities in need with food parcels during the lockdown.

REDIRECTING SOCIAL INVESTMENT

Has lockdown tilted CSI spending towards more food relief and health efforts? CAIPHUS KGOSANA finds out

While 2019 saw CSI spend heavily directed at education, with 94 per cent of corporate donors collectively spending 50 per cent of their spend in this sector, food relief programmes only received about 2 per cent of the total R10.2-billion allocated to the collective CSI spend pool, according to Trialogue’s The Business in Society Handbook 2019.

How will this situation read at the end of 2020, when food relief and health-related emergencies emerged early on in the year as the dominant areas for relief as the COVID-19 lockdown impacted gravely on the majority of our communities? daughters are responsible for the biggest donation to the Solidarity Fund, having donated just over R1-billion to date. The Solidarity Fund is a business, government and civil society initiative with a mandate to support the national health response, contribute to humanitarian relief efforts, and mobilise South Africans in the ght against COVID-19.

The fund, according to statistics released on its website, has raised R3.1-billion since its inception and has allocated R2.2-billion and disbursed just over R1-billion to ongoing

DID YOU KNOW? More than 300 000 donors have contributed to the Solidarity Fund so far, with 2 067 of these being corporates and trusts and almost 300 000 are individuals who have either donated directly or through fundraising platforms.

Source: Solidarity Fund

The New York Times pointed out right at the start of the global wide lockdown that “in societies where the virus hits, it is deepening the consequences of inequality, pushing many of the burdens onto the losers of today’s polarised economies and labour markets. Research suggests that those in lower economic strata are likelier to catch the disease”.

As a response to this reality, the Solidarity Fund was set up. Gloria Serobe, the chairperson of the fund, said at that time that the fund will be a rapid response to support four key initiatives: preventative and supporting measures to “flatten the curve”; detecting and understanding the magnitude of the infection problem; assisting with the management of those people in hospital or medical care; and supporting those people whose lives are disrupted by the virus.”

By all accounts, South Africa’s renewed priorities for social funding shifted towards medical-related relief programmes and very basic food relief efforts. The Solidarity Fund’s first humanitarian disbursement, in projects. The statistics also show that it supported 11 projects in the health sector, mainly buying personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers and testing kits.

By the beginning of October, the fund had supported 280 000 families around the country with food parcels and allocated farming input vouchers to 47 000 subsistence farmers in rural areas. It is targeting another 135 000 households through its R100-million food voucher relief programme, whereby each household receives a R700 voucher.

The fund has also provided PPE and medical services to 133 shelters and care

FAST FACT As at 18 November 2020, the Economic Freedom Fighters were ranked the highest in payroll giving to the Solidarity Fund. The estimated payroll giving was recorded as R15-million.

Source: Solidarity Fund

April this year, saw R120-million donated to provide emergency food relief to over 250 000 distressed households across South Africa. This figure already accounts for more than 10 per cent of the annual CSI spend corporates pooled in 2019.

As part of its healthcare support intervention, the fund reported in May that R905-million had been allocated for the procurement of personal protective equipment and an additional R250-million to the National Health Laboratory Services. Again, on last year’s statistics where corporate spend directed to the health sector was only 7 per cent of the total CSI spend of R10.2-billion, according to Trialogue, this year’s spend seems to have surpassed the 2019

THE BIG SPENDERS

Mary Oppenheimer and her

CSI support. centres that assist women and children affected by gender-based violence.

It has partnered with government and other entities to identify bene ciaries. Through MomConnect, a programme registered by the Department of Health to give prenatal care to pregnant women, the fund has reached 45 000 expectant mothers.

The Solidarity Fund has done away with food parcels replacing them with digital food vouchers through a partnership with Standard Bank and smaller ntech companies.

“The food vouchers have the added bene t of enhancing bene ciary dignity by allowing them to choose the items they need,” the fund states.

Cyber safety for tech-savvy children

Unisa has embarked on an initiative to equip schoolchildren and guardians with information on how to operate safely in cyberspace

Over the past decade, a shift has been witnessed in the South African cyber security space, whereby the main threat is posed not to organisations, but individuals. While organisations are now better protected due to well-established protocols and robust cyber security networks, members of the public are exposed to a much riskier environment when conducting online activities.

The threat extends beyond adults carrying out activities such as online banking. Our tech-savvy generation of children is accessing the internet at an earlier age than ever before.

As part of its community engagement efforts, the University of South Africa (Unisa) is seeking to fill a yawning gap in the regulation of individual online security, creating awareness of cyber security among children who have unfettered and unmonitored access to the online space.

Professor Elmarie Kritzinger is a founding member and project leader of the Cyber Awareness Project at Unisa’s School of Computing, an initiative with the aspiration to provide cyber security information and frameworks for schoolchildren and their guardians.

“We have seen a definite shift in the cybersecurity space over the past five years in particular. More devices are connected to the internet than ever before. And, from a young age, children are becoming addicted to technology and being online,’’ says Kritzinger.

“The problem is that proper training on how to use these devices safely does not come hand in hand with the technology. There are limited governed best practices for the public and a lack of awareness of the risks behind being online. This is particularly relevant during the time of COVID-19 when school learners have had to be online to keep up with their studies.”

Unisa aims to build the structures that are lacking in terms of awareness, skills and knowledge of cyberspace. Kritzinger and her team have developed a Cyber Safety Awareness Toolkit in conjunction with the Department of Digital Communications and the British High Commission. The toolkit contains comprehensive information about protecting individuals from cyber security threats.

“It consists of downloadable documents to guide users safely through cyberspace. It includes posters, workbooks, cartoons, a Cyber Safety Awareness Pledge and calendars that allow users to start planning their cybersafety activities. The toolkit is an invaluable asset for schools and communities. It is available in six of our official languages,” says Kritzinger.

Unisa will embed the Cyber Safety Awareness Toolkit in a massive open online course (MOOC), which is currently being developed. The MOOC will allow participants to complete activities, engage in discussions and learn the ins and outs of cyber safety. The MOOC will be free for all on the Unisa MOOC platform.

Professor Elmarie Kritzinger

EDUCATING PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Kritzinger says that educating parents and teachers is a key area of focus because often children are more technologically advanced than their guardians.

“Teachers and parents often feel inadequate and do not have the training or knowledge to monitor what their children are doing. It is vitally important to give them the right tools so that they can play a role in educating their children about significant risks such as cyberbullying and exploitation.”

Kritzinger adds that once educators have completed the MOOC, Unisa plans to assist schools to help ensure that they have the correct policies and procedures in place.

“There is a dire need to create a holistic national approach in schools. With our project, we are laying the platform for this and can establish a good idea of what works and what doesn’t, so that hopefully concrete measures can start to be put in place by government,” she concludes.

“We have seen a definite shift in the cybersecurity space over the past five years in particular. More devices are connected to the internet than ever before.” – Professor Elmarie Kritzinger, Unisa School of Computing

For more information:

cset@unisa.ac.za www.unisa.ac.za/cset

DRIVING THE Unisa’s I-SET Robotics Hub has launched an online learning platform to equip and inspire educators, students and visionary community leaders ROBOTICS REVOLUTION

Unisa’s Inspired towards Science, Engineering and Technology (I-SET) community engagement flagship project of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) has launched its I-SET Robotics Live Online Learning platform.

The I-SET Robotics project is housed in the I-SET Robotics Hub at the UNISA Science Campus in Florida. The I-SET project has been at the forefront of robotics education for learners, educators, students and visionary community leaders since 2009. Before the arrival of COVID-19 and lockdown, the hub hosted regular practical I-SET robotics workshops for UNISA students, learners and educators (from Grade 0 to Grade 12).

“It is all silent now as the UNISA Science Campus is closed. We have also been unable to visit communities with our mobile science unit and cannot host robotics competitions. But the I-SET team has found alternative ways to engage and inspire the community,” says I-SET project leader Dr Patricia Gouws. The plan is to use the rest of 2020 to create a competent and confident core of robotics coaches throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries.

The I-SET Robotics Live Online Learning platform was launched in September. Drawing up to 100 participants at a time, the

“We can utilise this time of online learning to create competent and confident educators. We create an engaging space and build up an online community that is enthusiastic about robotics.” – Dr Patricia Gouws, I-SET project leader, Unisa

platform involves weekly training sessions, covering basic introduction to robotics, more advanced robotics, and exploring the strategies of robotics competition challenges for educators. For learners, there is also an I-SET Physics/Chemistry hour. In October, a student developer club hosted a one-hour session. The robotics sessions are aligned to the I-SET Robotics MOOCs (massive open online courses) on the UNISA domain. These MOOCs provide free access to all the learning materials presented during the live online learning sessions.

Gouws explains that the equipping and supporting of educator training is particularly important, as very few have any knowledge of robotics or programming.

“We can utilise this time of online learning to create competent and confident educators. We create an engaging space and build up an online community that is enthusiastic about robotics. This is an ongoing vision, which adapts to the needs of the online community. A recent discussion revealed a need for an in-depth exploration of the use of robotics to make maths learning fun, this is why our online sessions are not presentations at such, but rather meetings where all participants can engage.”

PART OF A GREATER GOAL

To reach more communities and schools, I-SET has also launched its Robotics Indigenous initiative, which is translating the introduction to robotics from English to South Africa’s other official languages.

“When learners are engaged in a language that they understand, a connection is built and the learning process becomes less intimidating and more fun,” says Gouws.

She says that it is vital to simplify the learning process surrounding robotics, both in terms of language and teaching methodologies.

“Traditionally, programming is introduced at a very high level of syntax, which makes it threatening, abstract and complex. Secondly, robotics should not be taught textbookstyle. The best way to build enthusiasm and understanding is to get learners to practically explore the learning of robotics. When they can see a robot moving in front of them, that immediately instils excitement and a thirst to learn more.”

Gouws stresses that robotics should be mainstreamed at schools to prepare children for the 21st century.

“I fret every time a bunch of matric learners graduate from school without learning how to programme. We are not preparing them for the future. To function as socially responsible, successful adults, the problem-solving and other 21st century skills provided by programming are critical.”

For more information:

cset@unisa.ac.za www.unisa.ac.za/cset

KAGISO TRUST GROWS NEW ERA FARMERS

Kagiso Trust unlocks funding, business advice and assistance to first-time farmers

The Tyala Impact Fund is an initiative by Kagiso Trust to contribute towards the transformation of agriculture in South Africa. One of its purposes is to unlock financing for new era farmers through blended funding. By overcoming challenges and creating opportunities, new era farmers will be given a chance to succeed. “That’s the magic of Tyala,” says Mohlolo Selala, Kagiso Trust: head of Socio-Economic Development (SED).

STEP 1: PLANT THE SEED

The Tyala Impact Fund exists solely for and works directly with the farmers. New era farmers are passionate first-generation farmers who do not come from a long history of successive generations with farming experience. “Agriculture is one of the foundational and most critical sectors, and as such we are about bringing solutions into the space. On average, the sector creates just under one million jobs annually. Currently, although small we are among a few of the black-owned development funds that are strictly for agriculture,” says Selala.

Kagiso Trust is advocating for transformation and inclusivity. In other words, to plant the seeds of change. “The biggest challenge new era farmers face is obtaining appropriate funding; market access and technical support. The Tyala Fund seeks to position itself as a catalyst to unlock commercial funding and provide a holistic solution to farmers,” Selala says.

He explains that new era farmers may not have a credit history and crop records, which are important to secure appropriate funding. “Financing a new era farmer poses a risk to any financial institution. While money is available for farming ventures, first-time farmers may not have access to farming ecosystem networks to also tap into markets and market intelligence.”

Mohlolo Selala

A lack of technical support and mentorship, as well as access to agricultural land with water rights is a further impediment.

STEP 2: ADEQUATE WATERING

To face these challenges head-on, Kagiso Trust has set up a fund that will result in blended funding. This entails a solution for banks whereby the fund “de-risks” the transactions and obtains funding for the new era farmer with no intermediary mark-ups. “Development financial institutions may give a loan at prime less four, but due to middle men in form of financial intermediaries and perceived risk, the farmer may end up paying prime plus two per cent. When funding, the big guys go for the obvious winners and avoid farmers that are seen as a high risk. Tyala takes a subordinated funding position to mitigate risk so that the farmer can succeed”, explains Selala.

“Instead of working for commercial financial institutions. We want to help them to create personal wealth and overcome poverty. With most costs including interest rates lowered, these farmers can now adequately ‘water’ their lands,” says Selala.

“The Tyala Fund seeks to position itself as a catalyst to unlock commercial funding and provide a holistic solution to farmers .” – Mohlolo Selala, head of Socio-Economic Development, Kagiso Trust

STEP 3: GETTING PRODUCE TO MARKET

Kagiso Trust also assists new era farmers with getting produce to the market by collaborating with industry players.

Selala refers to the “For Farmers East”, a group of farmers who joined up with existing commercial farmers in KwaZulu-Natal to plant maize, as a group they have aggregated to maximize resources. They combined their land and planted about 2 000ha of maize. Kagiso Trust and First National Bank Agri co-funded and provided R25.5-million to the entity. The group planted in November and thanks to good rains, they had a bumper crop. The maize was exported to Taiwan and South Korea and 251 jobs were created. We are looking at refinancing their next planting season.

Selala attributes the group’s success to the technical support they received from partner organisations and the affordable funding model. “Kagiso Trust aims to assist poverty-stricken communities by designing sustainable programmes that can be scaled and replicated,” says Selala.

After all, this is a socioeconomic issue and sustainable farming leads to economic wellbeing.

For more information:

(+27) 11-566-1900 info@kagiso.co.za www.kagiso.co.za