From dishwasher to celebrity chef in 'Kaelo - Stories of Hope'

SAB KickStart entrepreneur Citrum Khumalo features in Kaelo - Stories of Hope

Armed with the vital business skills and the capital he needed, Citrum's catering business has flourished. He has even had the honour of cooking for his hero, Nelson Mandela. In true celebrity chef style Citrum now has his own SABC TV show, which features him cooking in township schools.

Citrum's story is one of an inspiring selection of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stories being compiled for a new book, 'Kaelo - Stories of Hope', to be published in November. The stories tell of the passion of South Africans as we conquer the challenges of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment with the support and commitment of visionary South African companies. Each story forms a chapter, illustrated with photographs from award-winning photographers, and closes with a write-up on the company's broader CSR context.

The book is one of the linked Kaelo communication platforms that take CSR stories into mass media - including a successful SABC 2 television series of the same title, a full colour insert on CSR in national print media, radio features on five local language stations and the Kaelo website - http://www.kaelosa.com. Stories are told in an engaging way, in the right context, supported by expert commentary.

"It can be difficult for companies to reach the broad audiences that have an interest in their social performance - including employees, consumers, government and investors," says Tamaryn Smith of Kaelo Worldwide Media. "The book, like the TV series, will be educational and uplifting - and serve an important communications purpose. Through telling CSR stories on mass media platforms consumers can be better informed, best practices can be shared, corporate reputations can be built and corporate social investment can be further mobilised."

'Kaelo - Stories of Hope' will be promoted on television, retailed and distributed to featured companies, business leaders, government and into school libraries. There are opportunities during August for NGOs and companies to get involved and feature stories in all the platforms.