Five for a chain reaction

5 For Change, an annual black tie fundraiser, is changing the way people think about philanthropy and social change.

Founder Adriaan Dippenaar believes that change happens first at an individual level and then at a community level. Speaking on behalf of co-founders Ross McKernan and David Deetlefs, he said, "As individuals experience the rewards of helping someone, they improve the communities they live and work in with a huge multiplier effect. A small change in the life of another can cause a chain reaction that will benefit the community. We believe that through showing people that giving back can be fun, inspiring and rewarding, social change will follow.

"As our third consecutive event last year [and raising over R150,000 in 2014 alone], we feel that 5 For Change has now truly become a fixture on the Cape Town social and philanthropic calendars."

This year's event is to be held on Saturday at the iconic Cape Town City Hall, featuring Beyond Expectation Environmental Project (BEEP), MyOwnCup/The Inkululeko Project, Read to Rise, Trade-Mark and Generation Ubuntu. "We're excited about introducing the leaders behind this year's beneficiaries to our guests and inspiring them to make a commitment to getting involved in a social cause," added Dippenaar.

Here, a bit about each beneficiary and how they plan to allocate the funds in meaningful ways.

Beyond Expectation Environmental Project (BEEP)

Beyond Expectation Environmental Project (BEEP) is a grassroots for youth, by youth environmental organisation, which educates youth from previously disadvantaged backgrounds on environmental issues whilst simultaneously tackling some of the many social issues faced in their communities.

The funds raised will go towards its green initiatives such as its food garden programme in the Western Cape and agriculture enterprise development in the Eastern Cape.

MyOwnCup/The Inkululeko Project

MyOwnCup, an Inkululeko Project initiative, provides school girls in townships with a sustainable reusable sanitary solution. Kim Smith, Founder of The Inkululeko Project, said, "My journey with the menstrual cup, and how powerfully life-changing and influential it can be, started with Anneline, our domestic worker. One day I asked her about what she uses during her period to which her response was toilet paper. This was a woman who earned an income but chose to spend her money on rent, food and her son's needs instead. I gave Anneline a cup and to this day she swears by it."

MyOwnCup has been distributed to 4,000 women and aims to reach 15,000 in 2015.

Read to Rise

Read to Rise aims to encourage reading and to make high quality books available to young learners. Programme Director Taryn Lock said, "Sadly, many children in communities such as Mitchells Plain and Soweto have never owned a book before and only read on average two books per year (they are supposed to be reading 40 on average). Most of these children do not have access to good, age-appropriate books and many are too afraid to go to the community libraries due to crime and gang violence."

The funds from 5 For Change will enable Read to Rise to visit more primary schools in the townships, to give out new Oaky and the Sun books to Grade 2 learners, and place a mini library in each classroom. "We hope that with our classroom session and these books, the Grade 2 learners at the school will be inspired to read, excel at school and literally rise in their personal development and contribution to society," said Lock.

Trade-Mark

There are two components to our work, said Trade-Mark's Josh Cox. "The first is around creating economic opportunities for tradesmen from the townships by allowing them greater access to a more affluent market. The second component is around development and is delivered through our business and life-skills training programme. The first area of our work is very directly impactful in that it puts rands and cents into our tradesmen's pockets (as well as those they employ) and food on the table.

Since joining the programme a number of tradesmen have managed to pay off their debt, and two have had a white wedding after being married for a number of years. Some have realised their dream of buying a car, and some have built new homes, or paid for further education of relatives.

Generation Ubuntu

Generation Ubuntu (GenU) provides a holistic care program to children and teens living with HIV and their families.

Whitney Johnson, Founder and CEO of GenU, said, "We want the GenU programme to be a standard for every child living with HIV in South Africa and we know that the support we receive from 5 For Change can help us achieve that vision ... They are change agents and they are paving the way for a generation of children that could so easily have been lost."

All profits made from the annual black tie fundraiser, money raised from the auction and competitions at the event, and all direct donations are distributed directly to the five selected social enterprises.

Click here to get your ticket