7 minute read
FOUNDATIONS
from CSI November 2021
CHANGING THE REALITIES OF the MOST VULNERABLE
CARYN GOOTKIN speaks to changemakers involved in fi ve charitable foundations to fi nd out how they are helping the communities they serve
THE KOLISI FOUNDATION
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.”
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 water and waste responsibly and 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 nonprofi t 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.
Silvia Cruz-Vargas
PEPSICO’S FEEDING POTENTIAL VIDEO:
THE AMY FOUNDATION
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 infl uences 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 Kevin Skills Development 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 diffi cult circumstances shows what is possible,” says Chaplin.
SUCCESS STORIES
THE KAY MASON FOUNDATION
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 fi nancial 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 fi nancial 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 fi rst job. “The focus by national government and many NPOs on getting young people to complete their schooling often neglects the critical next step: fi nding meaningful employment in the face of numerous challenges,” says Bright.
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MOMENTUM METROPOLITAN FOUNDATION
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; fi nancial 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 fi nancial education programmes are geared towards high school learners and young adults about to enter the world of work and facilitate access to the benefi ts 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.”
