Spur Foundation launches Relate initiative
In collaboration with the 100% not-for-profit social enterprise Relate Bracelets, the Spur Foundation's latest initiative is to raise R750,000 in order to set up micro franchises that will empower single mothers to earn a living and to be able to afford quality education for their children...
The campaign invites 67,000 people to join hands to help change the lives of South African families by making every day a Mandela Day and buying a Relate Bracelet for R30 from the Spur family of brands - Spur Steak Ranches, Panarottis and John Dory's.
"It's already proven to be a remarkably successful campaign in a short space of time, as more than 30,000 bracelets have sold," said the CEO of Relate Bracelets, Neil Robinson.
"The fact that so many bracelets have sold in a matter of weeks is an incredible success story for Relate, and it shows that there is a huge consumer appetite for helping others."
Relate Bracelets provides support to the seniors who thread beads in the townships (many of whom care for HIV/AIDS orphans); the young closers and packers who are put through skills training courses to help them move beyond Relate to achieve their life goals; and Relate's enterprise development initiatives.
"But they also help the cause they are sold in aid of, in our case the Spur Foundation and the beneficiaries we support. So a small spend goes a long way," said Ronel van Dijk, chairman of the Spur Foundation.
Early childhood development
Once the Spur Foundation reaches its goal of 67,000 bracelets sold, it'll have raised R750, 000, which will be used with a focus on early childhood development and empowering South African families.
"We want to use funds raised for early childhood development, but we recognise that there are many single mothers out there in the townships who cannot afford quality education for their children. What we would like to do is utilise funds to develop a franchising model for townships for a food offering that will enable single mothers to earn a living and to pay for quality education for their children," said Van Dijk.
Van Dijk explained that through working with organisations like the ASHA Trust and The Clothing Bank's Micro Franchise Accelerator, she has learned that that around 70% of children townships are being brought up by single mothers or grandmothers, with little or no help from the fathers.
"The franchisees will predominantly be young mothers and the income they earn from the micro franchises we help them set up will empower them to set their children up for a better education, and life, by being able to send them to early childhood development centres - also franchised by The Clothing Bank's Micro Franchise Accelerator," said Van Dijk.
This will be a long-term partnership, with the micro franchises first rolled carefully in selected areas and later countrywide if, and when, the model proves itself.
The Spur Foundation provides support for South African families, especially children, every day and in so doing tries to make every day a Mandela Day.
"Mandela Day is a concept that is close to the heart of what the Spur Foundation stands for as the Spur Corporation was started in 1967. And in light of that for Mandela Day in 2012 the Spur Corporation donated R670,000 to the trust to start the Spur Foundation," explained Van Dijk.
But rather than focus on 67 minutes, the Spur Foundation chose to focus on a longer term campaign in order to make a big impact, with a small spend from its customers.
