Foundation Facts
Eight years since inception, the Giving from the Heart employee volunteerism programme carried on giving during 2014/15, with 10% of employees taking part annually.
During 16 Days of Activism, 100 employees visited Life Line branches in Gauteng, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal to distribute informative pamphlets and gain an understanding of the plight of women abused at home and those victimised by the police when forced to earn a living by selling their bodies.
As part of Volunteer Week, 50 employees went to Habitat for Humanity in Western Cape and spent 45 hours building a house for an underprivileged family. This international organisation operates in 70 countries and has built houses for more than a million families since 1976.
Also in March, 30 employees painted buildings and facilities at Roodepan Vroee Kinderontwikkeling en Naaskoolsorg Sentrum in Northern Cape and installed new toilet facilities.
Mandela Day, 18 July, is more than just a celebration of Madiba’s life and legacy. It is a global movement to honour his life’s work and take action to change the world for the better.
It was inspired by a call from Nelson Mandela himself to the next generation to take the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices, saying “it is in your hands now”.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived,” said Madiba. “It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
The 2014 event was particularly symbolic, as it not only was the first following his death but also coincided with South Africa’s 20 years of democratic freedom.
Telkom Foundation employees celebrated a great life in the traditional way, by making a difference to individuals not as fortunate as they.
Activities in 2014 were spread across all provinces, with 600 employees taking part in tasks that spruced up lacklustre decor, gave a bright new finish to faded exteriors and interiors, and breathed new life into gardens.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 50 volunteers visited Zululand Hospice in Empangeni, an organisation that meets the need for palliative care in the uMhlathuze area and serves as many people as possible, in spite of a lack of professional staff, resources and steady income. The volunteers assisted with painting and cleaning.
Similar work was undertaken by 60 volunteers at Mother of Peace in Amanzimtoti, a community for about 80 children who have been abandoned, orphaned, abused or are infected or affected by HIV/Aids.
In Western Cape, 50 volunteers took part in a Make a Difference initiative hosted by media group Naspers, knitting sleeping bags for the homeless using sustainable products
Gauteng efforts were focused on three projects. Thato Ke Matla Foster and Safety House benefited from the work of 90 volunteers who painted rooms, replaced doors and performed general renovations. Thato Ke Matla is the only safety house that caters for the neglected children of Orange Farm.
Seventy volunteers devoted their 67 minutes to Korekile Home for Cerebral Palsied Children in Westonaria, undertaking much needed painting and cleaning.
Another 70 volunteers headed for Re-bafenyi Victim Empowerment in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, to clean, launder and garden. Re-bafenyi focuses on the scourge of violence against women and children, its aim to turn victims into victors.
In North West, Tapologo Hospice, which cares for those suffering from Aids and runs an outreach programme of preventative education and support to families affected by HIV/Aids., was painted and cleaned, and a vegetable garden planted. Fifty volunteers contributed.
Painting and cleaning were also carried out at Lethlabile Care for the Aged, in Brits, with 70 volunteers taking part.
Lesedi Centre of Hope in Bloemfontein runs HIV awareness workshops, feeds orphans, provides home-based care and runs an after-care facility for children in the community. Its need was for cleaning and laundry.
In Limpopo, volunteers assisted Mogofele Creche in Secucune to install a borehole, erect fencing and gates and establish a garden.
An exciting new initiative made its debut on the employee volunteerism stage during 2014/15, in a programme called Connected Youth.
The pilot project coincided with Youth Month and was held in Kagiso in June 2014 in partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and Mogale City Municipality.
Some 50 employees headed for the township to spend nine hours assisting youths to pave a way for employment through a professionally compiled and produced CV. Volunteers discussed with the youngsters their strengths and skills, taking into account any practical work experience they had amassed, whether it was a task as simple as selling vetkoek over a weekend or something more formal. CVs were then typed up for each and put on a USB device that could be taken to any internet cafe for the CV to be emailed or printed.
The employees then set up email addresses for the youngsters and walked them through internet job sites, showing how they could use their airtime productively to research career information and opportunities for employment.
By the time a second event was held in March 2015, in Tembisa, to coincide with International Volunteer Week, interest had grown substantially. A total of 150 employees were involved and 1 200 employment seekers were reached. This was in collaboration with NYDA, the Department of Labour and City of Ekhurhuleni.
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