German Porsche executive gives Jelly Beanz R500 000 cheque

Bernhard Maier, member of Porsche's executive board: sales and marketing in Germany has visited South Africa to hand over a R 500 000 cheque to Jelly Beanz, the second sizeable donation by Porsche in as many years.

Maier, who visited South Africa during a Porsche launch function in 2011, was moved by the plight of children in distress.

At a function hosted by Porsche Centre Johannesburg, Maier said: "It is our duty to lay the foundation for a new society, that when these young people reach adulthood, they will be empowered to make the right decisions, nurturing and guiding the generation to follow in the right way. We need to keep the links between present and future strong."

Marita Rademeyer, trustee for Jelly Beanz, took receipt of the donation. Visibly emotional, Rademeyer thanked Porsche for their generosity: "We need to do so much work, but we have access to very little funding. This gift will go a long way in our work to create hope for children affected by trauma and abuse."

Addressing child abuse and trauma

Jelly Beanz creates holistic interventions to address child abuse and trauma through direct services to children and families; training and mentoring of mental health professionals, resource development to assist in assessment and therapeutic interventions for children and families, research on trauma and abuse issues, as well as advocating for children's rights.

"This donation will help to grow our organisation and to build capacity to ensure the future viability of Jelly Beanz," Rademeyer added.

For more information regarding Jelly Beanz, go to jellybeanz.org.za.