Ellerine Holdings employees donate monthly to Mandela Day beneficiaries

Employees within the Ellerine Holdings group, in South Africa and Namibia, launched the Siyanakekela Community Investment Programme on Mandela Day 2010 to collect funds on a monthly basis to donate to nominated beneficiaries. To date, the group's Trust Fund has distributed R1.6 million.

It has three focus areas for funding: the prevention of child abuse, the care and education of orphans and vulnerable children and the prevention of HIV and Aids amongst youth.

Workplace giving is a collection method, used by employees at both local and international companies, where voluntary monthly contributions from as little as R5 a month are deducted from their monthly salaries to help improve the lives of those who are less fortunate.

This year, employees donated R320,700 to local, provincial and national non-profit organisations in South Africa and one national organisation in Namibia:

Ntataise Footprint

One of these organisation is the Ntataise Trust, an organisation that has inspired thousands of child-minders to become qualified Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners. Started in 1980, with a single ECD centre in the Free State, the Trust now has 17 ECD member training organisation in seven provinces and its reach has since extended to children from towns and villages in many communities.

"The Ntataise network across South Africa is very grateful to employees from Beares, Dial a Bed, Ellerines, Furniture City, Geen & Richards and Wetherlys for their generous support," said Jane Evans, founder and director of the Ntataise Trust. "The ECD practitioners and children were delighted with the activity materials that were purchased with the Siyanakekela funds."