SA Rocks

This is a bold headline. It is intentionally so. I am a young South African and I feel as if I have no hands-on, real-life charitable outlet. I am not saying that I am right, I am saying that I don’t know of them and if I don’t there are lots of young South Africans who don’t.

Many of the charities that I can think of are not relevant to me, don’t appeal to my personal goals for charitable time I spend on my community or simply don’t need me.

Many of you will say that every organisation always needs people but that is untrue. The Nelson Mandela Children’s fund has money, they have volunteers and they could always use more, but I believe my time can be used more effectively at charities and organisations that don’t have all the money and support that they need. I want to make a difference in my hours of work. I don’t want to palm off money to an organisation. I want to get involved in my community and my country and I want to help to rebuild things that need rebuilding and fix things that need fixing.

So where do I go? Who do I talk to? What cause deserves my time and is relevant to me and my needs to (because there are no altruistic actions in this world).

Tell me, I mean it, give me an answer, show me a charity that is relevant to my generation that is doing this that I think are important and helping people that I think need help. I want to find one and think that there are many people my age who also want to make a difference but have no outlet.

I recently discussed this issue with returning expats who said that they felt as if they have returned to SA but have no way to feel out their community and make a decision on how to make a difference.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to change the nation in a day, I am not trying to be ridiculous here. I simply want an outlet. Are there any?

photo: Mysterious Photographer

Popularity: 7% [?]

Q&A with Karde Buys – Senior HR Manager: CSI & Wellness of The Foschini Group

1. The Foschini Group has historically supported the 16 Days of Activism campaign. What makes this year’s campaign different?

In previous year’s, we selected one NPO to support. This year, we have aligned our support of the 16 Days of Activism campaign with The Foundation for Human Rights mandate, which is to focus on the empowerment of the non-profit organisations in South Africa that are typically out of public view and to highlight their work and funding requirements.

We joined forces with SAfm (104-107fm) with our 16 Charities, 16 Days concept that not only empowers organisations through donations, but guarantees them the vital media exposure to highlight their services and detail their needs to the South African public and business community.

We also aligned ourselves with Greater Good SA (www.greatergoodsa.co.za), who have provided links to their site from ours with an individual page for each NPO. We want to ensure that individuals that hear about the campaign have an opportunity to engage directly with the organisations.

2. When does it kick off?

25 November.

3. Why choose SAfm as a media partner?

The 16 Days of Activism against women and children is an initiative that the station takes seriously and SAfm commits to support and effect change in behaviour and attitude around this debilitating situation. This campaign allows the station to continue to empower women and South African citizens and we hope to take this association to even greater heights next year.

4. How did you go about selecting the non-profit organisations that are participating?

They all had to meet our corporate funding criteria, but we looked for organisations that we hadn’t worked with before, that were less mainstream and where the need was most urgent.

5. Which organisations have been selected?

6. There is evidently an awareness campaign underpinning the campaign. What does this involve?

A lot! For internal communication to staff, we’ve produced A3 and A5 posters, door decals, updated the intranet, designed emailers and attached A5 leaflets to payslips educating staff about their right to live a non-violent life, how to spot signs of abuse and what to do.

We’ve also placed two ads in Club Magazine and taken the back page of two issues of The Big Issue. The website has been upgraded (www.foschinigroup.co.za/csi) and we’ve included information on the campaign on all statements to The Foschini Group account holders.

The rationale behind this all is to direct interested parties to the website, where they can interact directly with the NPO’s.

7 . What type of feedback have you received from the organisations?

Incredible. Some of the comments are below. It’s so gratifying to know that we’re on the right track, that we’re providing a communication platform for them. Another of the important comments that we’ve received is that most donations are project specific and as our donation is not, the majority of them are using the cash for running expenses – an ongoing battle for most of them.

AFRICA CARES FOR LIFE-AMANZIMTOTI

Says Gail Schreiner, National Director of Amanzimtoti based Africa Cares for Life, whose vision is to impact the destiny of pregnant women and their children: “The ever increasing statistics are a grim reminder that much more needs to be done to make a difference in our nation against violence against women and children. Rape and incest is continuing at an alarming rate whilst children fear to express the anguish of the brutality they suffered to the very people they should trust. We at Africa Cares for Life welcome the drive of 16 days of activism against abuse on women and children and are committed to do whatever in our power to bring about positive changes for a better society.”

OPERATION BOBBI BEAR-AMANZIMTOTI

Says Eureka Olivier, Administrative Director of Amanzimtoti based Operation Bobbi Bear, dedicated to rescuing, representing and reintegrating sexually abused children: “I really would like to thank The Foschini Group for getting involved in NPO’s and helping children who are abused and raped. Very few corporates are willing to go to such lengths to get actively involved.”

ALPHA TRAUMA CENTRE-VEREENIGING

Says Vivien Thomas, Centre Manager of Vereeniging based Alpha Trauma Centre, who deals with children who are victims of rape, the average age of which is under the age of 12: “We’re all very excited to be a part of this initiative. We’ve been trying to get our name out there for years to let people know that our service exists. There is such a need for a campaign of this nature.”

CHUBBY CHUMS-GERMISTON

Says Martin Barnard, Founder/Director of Germiston based NGO Chubby Chums, whose main goals are to place children in Safe Havens, Places Of Safety, and Hospices, and to protect, feed and clothe them up to the ages of 18 years: “Why should our children suffer? They deserve to be taken care of, they should be loved, respected and never turned away, it is not the child’s fault. They are, after all, our future.”

BEE COURTWISE-BRAAMFONTEIN

Says Carol Johnson, Director of Braamfontein based Bee Courtwise, who offer services in the field of victim empowerment, crime prevention and diversion of youth in conflict with the law: “It’s a really incredible initiative that they’ve taken. Particularly being a small NPO, we’re very proud to be associated with the campaign and we believe that it shall have a great impact against the fight against domestic violence.”

TSENANG HOMES OF SAFETY-PRETORIA

Says Rev. Zillah Ketcher of Muckleneuk (Pretoria) based Tsenang Homes of Safety, whoprovide care to abused, abandoned and neglected children regardless of their health and HIV status: “We are proud and extremely grateful to be selected as one of the non-profit organisations in this active stand against women and child abuse. At Tsenang Homes of Safety we feel privileged to be of service to our wonderful country by offering loving homes and statutory assistance/intervention to those many children in crises. It is essential that we, the mothers of our nation speak out on behalf of South African women and children in crisis. As Tsenang homes of safety, we will use our voice!”

THE HELPNET-FUND-PRETORIA

Says Jaco Meintjies, Chairman of Lynnwood (Pretoria) based The Helpnet fund – Safehouse, whose focus is to apply their resources around the care, love and rehabilitation of physically and emotionally abused children: “The opportunity granted to us to be part of this countrywide stand against woman and child abuse is amazing, this campaign will open the eyes of thousands of the general public to abused children/women and their daily plight. It gives us as an organisation the opportunity to interact with the public on these issues. At Safehouse we strive to be so much more than just another roof over their heads, providing these children with the dignity and support they so richly deserve in a safe and secure environment.”

PATCH-SOMERSET WEST

Says Claire Binneman, Fundraiser for the Somerset West based organisation PATCH who aim to support all child victims of sexual abuse in the Helderberg and prevent the incidence of this horrific crime committed against innocent children: “We are so pleased to be recognised by a company such as The Foschini Group. We are so concerned about the high numbers of child sexual abuse, but we are also celebrating the children and teenagers who decided not to keep the secret of sexual abuse anymore. Though painful, letting go of the secret enables the children to start the healing process. I salute the boys and girls who have spoken out about abuse in their lives and I also salute the boys and girls that are on the brink of speaking out. We are proud that Foschini is helping the children to create and opportunity to speak out.”

ST ANNE’S HOME-WOODSTOCK

Says Dorothy Du Plooy, Director of the Woodstock based organisation St Anne’s Home, whose mandate is to provide shelter and support for pregnant, abused, and homeless women with young children: “We are grateful to The Foschini Group for acknowledging the plight of women in shelters. At St. Anne’s we restore the dignity of the women who come through our doors while also empowering them to be self sustaining. The 16 days of Activism is a platform for all roleplayers to collectively take a stand against this basic human rights violation ”.

8 . How do you anticipate that individuals shall engage with the organisations?

We think that it will start with curiousity once the radio interviews with each NPO kick off, then a bit of research online and eventually, a personal contact. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for individuals to find information about the NPO’s that interest them.

9. Is there a way that the community can get involved aside from via giving donations?

Yes, many of the NPO’s also require goods, furniture, food and time! They’ve each stated their priorities on their web pages on www.greatergoodsa.co.za.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Interesting concept and not one that I think I would be too keen to try out. “Jailing” yourself while you wait for other people to donate 1 million rand your way. Even if it is for a good cause, I think it’s an admirable goal!

The basic aim of the event is to raise money for Autism Western Cape and the main “culprit” is Gerhard Pieterse, the Executive Director of Autism Western Cape.

What exactly is Jail 4 Bail?

The “Jail4bail” concept aims to raise a minimum of R 1 000 000 (One Million Rand), commencing Monday 16 June 2008 (National Youth Day). The beneficiaries for this project will be:
Autism Western Cape
Tableview Community Police Forum (20% of the funds shall be allocated towards a police station in Parklands and training to assist SAPS and CPF to deal with offenders who may have mental disabilities).

Gerhard will be “arrested” by Tableview police and escorted to his jail cell in The Atrium at Bayside Mall on National Youth Day, Monday 16 June 2008 to raise a minimum of R 1 000 000 (One Million Rand).

He will not leave his cell, other than visitations, until the target amount has been raised. The suggested time frame to conclude the project is Friday, 27 June 2008.

In addition to Gerhard, the incoming President of the Round Table Association of South Africa, Danie van Rensburg, shall also be locking himself up and calling for funds from his international counterparts and Round Table South Africa.

The Vice-President of the West Coast Chamber of Commerce, Michelle Korevaar has also committed to being locked up.

There are a few ways to contribute:

Sponsorship
Sponsors through cash donation and product sponsorship.

Donations
“Bail” participants out with a minimum of R100 per donation.

Visitation Rights Donation
Visitation rights for a fee of R10.

To find out more information about the project and the organisations involved visit www.autismwesterncape.org.za or www.spice4life/jail4bail or contact Autism Western Cape on 0861 (AUTISM) 288476 for brochures, handbooks and general information.

I will be donating money in a sort of “Visitation Rights Donation” mechanism once Gerhard has been “arrested” in an interview with the man himself while he is imprisoned! Keep a look out for that coming soon.

Popularity: 5% [?]

This year saw the third annual Amazing Race in Joburg take place. More than 80 teams took part in the event in 2008.

The event is basically a clue hunt to raise money for charity. This year the event supported The Princess Alice adoption home and a Primary School called Paradise Bend in Lanseria.

I think this is a great initiative that was started by the same gentlemen who created the hugely successful Facebook group for the International Monopoly board voting for Cape Town.

The Times were there in full force and not only covered the event but participated in it too.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Celine Dion is in SA. She had her first performance last night at the Dome in Northgate. The event was held as a gala dinner event.

The show was apparently amazing and Dion is said to be a diva deserving of the status.

However the reason that I am blogging about her is what happened at the show. Tables were set up on the floor and a very posh vibe was put forward. The reason, it seems, was due to an auction that was held during the event.

The auction included things like Dion’s ring which went for R100 000 and a personal meeting with her after the show which went for R300 000.

Irrespective of how exorbitant the above prices are, the money is going to charities. Three charities were selected and I think that one of them is the Nelson Mandela’s Children Fund.

That is a helluva lot of money to raise in one night, one show, one sitting. Imagine if every performer who came to SA conducted a similar event? Charities in SA would benefit left, right and center.

I think that Celine Dion has done a great thing and is a passionate person who lives her music. The fact that she had the presence of mind to try and support/better the countries that she visits makes her even more professional and human in my eyes. Good on her.

Oh and one last thing, the Soweto Gospel Choir joined her on stage last night. What an honour for her to sing on a stage with such an accomplished group, two time Grammy winning group. Spectacular.

Popularity: 3% [?]

WOW!

This is absolutely rocking. Johnny Clegg is already a hero in SA and now he has pulled together South Africa’s top artists to record and remake “Spirit of the great heart”.

The song is a classic and has now been cemented as a great!

Top South African artists band together to support orphaned and vulnerable children

A remake of the Johnny Clegg classic featuring 17 of South Africa’s premier artists. All to benefit the Starfish Greathearts Foundation. produced by michael canfield.

I have blogged about The Starfish Foundation before. This project is in aid of the self same project. What a fantastic initiative by Clegg.

Watch with pride and enjoy:

Here is the massive list of participating artists:

Johnny Clegg, Arno Carstens, Karen Zoid, Josie Field, Chris Chameleon, Danny K, Proverb , Cito (Wonderboom), Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse, The Bala Brothers, Kahn Morbee (Parlotones’ frontman), Louise Carver, Dr. Victor, The Holy Cross Choir, Brenda Burnit & Michael Canfield/ RhythmSectionAfrica feat. Alistair Coakley.

‘We are simply astounded by the generosity and passion that everyone involved in this project has shown. By using their time, talents and resources the South African music and filming industries have helped us to inspire thousands of South Africans to stand up and make a difference to the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children,’ says, Kelli Givens, Resource Development Manager for the Starfish Greathearts Foundation. ‘This amazing effort will show the global community that citizens from all walks of life are indeed stimulating a bright future for South Africa.’

Popularity: 6% [?]

Rikus sent me an email a few days back. He runs a project/website called Charity Wines. The concept is a simple one and one that I like. You buy wine, they deliver and money goes to charity. Easy huh? Yep it is.

You can have a look at who benefits when you buy wine here.

Let’s have Rikus explain things a bit more:

Hi Rikus, Welcome to SA Rocks. I love the idea behind Charity Wines. Tell me a bit about where the concept came from?

Thank you. As you might know, there are a number of grassroots charities out there doing fantastic work. Time and time again we find that their greatest concern is financial stability. They simply do not get enough funding and support from the government and therefore they are forced to make applications to corporate South Africa for their survival.

My partner and I were driving through the winelands of the Breede River valley after a visit to one such organisation when the idea occurred to us to create a sustainability model for charities in the winelands. We simply decided to ask the wine producers of our country to make some of their marketing wine available which we then sell to the public. The funds raised are then made available to organisations in the fields of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and severe learning difficulty. We approached the governing bodies of the Wine Industry for their endorsements and then we set out to build the infrastructure needed to pull this off. Before long we accquired the services of Mondi Packaging, The Vineyard Connection and Cluver Markotter Lawyers who all pleged their support pro bono as part of their corporate social responsibility programs.

Engelbrecht/Els got the ball rolling by sending us some lovely wine and the rest is history. We have close on 50 farmers pledging wine to the Trust on a monthly basis and more are joining all the time. It is important to notice that the farmers are donating their wine free of charge.

Do you deliver outside of Western Cape?

We deliver to every corner of South Africa courtesy of The Vineyard Connection and Cross Cape. Westen Cape deliveries take approximately 24 hours and deliveries country wide can take up to 3 days.

How many people are involved in the project?

The Charity Wines Trust has 3 trustees whilst we acquired the services of a retired partner of Wine of the Month Club pro bono who manages strategic parts of the operation. Then there are the Industry’s gurus, the wine farms, implementation partners, media partners and a whole host of individuals who support the project in some way or another.

Is it purely an online venture?

Although buying online is the easiest, it is not purely online. People often call us once they learn of Charity Wines and order over the phone. Most customers simply join on a monthly basis by means of a debit order.

Can people get involved more than simply a donation? Is there an option for hands on assistance?

We often take guests to some of our beneficiaries but essentially Charity Wines is a fundraiser for charities and not a grassroots organisation per se. Having said that, we are working on a volunteer program whereby we would like international volunteers to stay on the beautiful wine farms whilst giving their time to interact with the community and talk to the people about the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices and the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a HUGE problem in South Africa, worse than anywhere in the world and the more prevention campaigns there are, the better.

What are the growth plans for the project?

We are aiming to grow our Farm Members pool significantly whilst building our sales to approximately 500 per month by October 2008. Upon achieving this we will be in a position to make charitable grants of R1 million annualy.

How well is it all doing? How many bottles of wine do you deliver and registrations do you get per month, for example?

We are pleased with the growth of the brand. We started trading last year and sell between 80 and 90 boxes of wine per month currently. I find that at least 3 farms join per month.

Let’s summarise things clearly for potential “buyers” of Charity Wines. When you buy a box of wine for R250 you are essentially making a donation to a charitable trust which is governed by legislation to implement the funds according to the objectives of the trust. The wine, which gets delivered to your door (in SA), is of top quality and always exceed the amount paid by the customer. This is the perfect gift for Father’s day, Mother’s day, Valentine’s, any occasion really. Your folks receive superb wine and your money goes to very worthwhile and transparent causes.

Please go to our site, see who’s donating and where your money goes and support this project.
Send us a mail at rikus@heartofhealing.org.za and reception@heartofhealing.org.za, order online or call (021) 442 9600

Thanks for taking the time out to chat with me, Hope that the project takes off!

Thank you very much and thanx for your website! SA really needs all the positivity we can get because, as you allready know: SA Rocks!!!

Popularity: 12% [?]

What’s your policy? I am torn. I sometimes feel empathy for the man/woman in the street and sometimes I feel invaded, used and guilted.

I am also interested to know if your approach to the less fortunate changes over the festive season?

And finally, do we call people on the street beggars? Is that the “pc” term, am I over being “pc” or what? Aren’t you?!?

Anyways, tangent, back to the charitable thoughts, what are yours?

Popularity: 5% [?]

This is most definitely one of the great initiatives around the holiday season in my opinion.

I am not an emotional kind of guy. I am a wall of steel (hahahaha). But this show on Jeremy Mansfield’s show in the morning really makes me want to weep.

It’s a strange kind of emotion, it’s a rational, uncontrollable urge to weep when I hear the wishes that people make.

What makes the situation even more incredible for me is that within SA’s current social platform there actually are many people who just want to give.

CEO’s, big company’s, small business, individuals, family and friends and anyone else Highveld calls upon is willing to help out those in need.

Today’s wish was just too much for me to actually handle though so I wasn’t able to listen to it all. A little girl of 12 months old was diagnosed with rare cancer of the eye and was going blind. The parents merely asked for a double bed, nothing more. They ended up receiving a few things, the largest was R100 000 lump sum from Primedia (and the bed).

Where? Where does this happen? Not everywhere, not in SA, but on Highveld stereo.

You might think this is some sort of bias post, but I am personally not a fan of the breakfast show on Highveld, other than Joffers My Boy. I am a Gareth Cliff listener. But this is definitely one area where Highveld blows 5fm out of the water. Charity.

If you live in JHB and don’t listen to the show, I think it’s time you started. If you don’t live in JHB, get to the Highveld website and see what you can do to help out, listen live and learn more about the Christmas Wish.

Popularity: 12% [?]

This weeks interview is with Candice Poole. Candice is started a company called Heartfelt Project. I wont leak any information, let’s have Candice tell us more:

Hi Candy, Thanks for chatting to SA Rocks.

Tell me a bit about Heart Felt Project.

Heartfelt Projects is a women empowering, job creation and skills development project. We bring you a range of products all proudly made in South Africa. Each item is a unique work of art hand signed by the artist. The Designs are not only one of a kind – but ones that come from the soul of each and every women. – They are currently available on T-shirts in white – but can also be introduced to bags, blankets and pillow cases by order.

How many people are involved in the project right now?

At the moment we have five ladies working on the project in Alexander, Johannesburg. There is one lady here in Grahamstown who is a Granny who up until now was barely surviving on her pension. I hope to grow the Grahamstown team soon, but our intention is to sustain the women, so we don’t want to grow too quickly without knowing that we are able to support them.

What is your personal goal for starting the project? What do you get out of this?

My personal goal is to make a difference in the lives of others. What better way to do it then by creating beautiful products that have soul. By empowering women, using my creative side and doing something that I love, I get happiness and joy!

What were the ladies you are empowering doing before you started helping them?

The group of ladies in Joburg were generally unemployed, either living off their pension or occasional part-time cleaning jobs. Their own goals are to be able to work for Heartfelt Projects full time so that they can look after their families.

How can the public help you?

The public can help us by buying our products, we can make up just about anything one desires.Heartfelt products make wonderful corporate gifts. I like to think of our company as a way of donating to a worthy cause, with the bonus of receiving a stunning item. We are very excited about how far we’ve already come with our Heartfelt project, and with the help of the public we feel we can take it even further. We do custom made orders for the corporate market, so contact us for your next corporate event.

In a very short time we were nominated for business of the year by the Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce. We got into the finals, so we must be doing something right.

Do you think that there is enough “charity” work going on in SA?

Yes and NO. I do feel that there are allot of wonderful people doing amazing things, we just need more people to stand together to help others.

Why Grahamstown? Why not move up to JHB or CT where things happen?

Grahamstown is my base and my intention is to have a group of ladies in every town in South Africa eventually. Although the products are being made here, our target market is in the bigger cities. At the end of the day our world is so small, so it doesn’t really matter where you are, as long as your heart is in the right place.

Thanks Candy and great work on your initiative, let’s hope that more people take your lead and get things moving in SA!

Popularity: 7% [?]