The rainbow-coloured beaded bracelets, launched by The Bead Co. in September 2013, are handmade by women in a beading community in rural North West Province. The bracelet, carrying the message 'Today's reader is tomorrow's leader' emphasises the significance of improved literacy for school learners.
The 'Boks for Books' initiative is SARU's first venture into corporate social investment and was born of a desire to make a significant contribution to South African society by supplying 23 fully stocked mobile or refurbished libraries a year to previously disadvantaged schools around the country.
"Our relationship with Signet Licensing and SARU led us to Blue Groove Africa and Elise Fish, who took my breath away with her determined do-good outlook," CEO of The Bead Co., Joanne Lapin-Thorpe said. "I am deeply passionate about the cause and projects supported by sales from our bracelet. Our product must support a direct and tangible initiative that makes sense to the local and international consumer."
Elise Fish, MD of Blue Groove Africa, thanked The Bead Co. for its first R10,000 contribution to 'Boks for Books' and the opportunity to do good. "The partnership with The Bead Co. is almost surreal. Having been in the NPO field for ten years, my fellow directors and I decided to focus our energies on providing libraries and media centres to deserving schools in South Africa.
"The mission of Blue Groove Africa is to provide the building blocks for education and our goal is to populate a minimum of 200 libraries by 2020. We encourage as many people as possible to purchase a Literacy bracelet and assist us in providing one of the most fundamental rights, which is education, to the children of South Africa," Fish said.
The bracelets will be available to purchase at selected CNA stores countrywide, Exclusive Books, Norman Goodfellows and online at www.thebeadco.co.za for R40 each. They will also be distributed for sale at schools across South Africa.
