Jet Stores: 2008 JCA winners

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Southern Africa’s premier grassroots awards programme, the Jet Community Awards, honoured seven outstanding community based organisations for their inspirational contributions to community upliftment at a ceremony at the Maponya Mall in Soweto earlier this evening. The seven 2008 winners were selected from 36 exceptional regional finalists from across Southern Africa.

Now in its sixth year, the Jet Community Awards invites entries annually from citizens of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland, specific to those individuals or organisations that have made a compelling contribution to the wellbeing of their communities. The Awards recognise community projects and grass roots organisations in the four categories of “Education”, honouring organisations and individuals focusing on school-level programmes of excellence in literacy, maths, science and technology; “We Care”, recognising inspirational community initiatives in Healthcare, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) as well as initiatives with people with disabilities; “Vukuzenzele” which recognises entrepreneurs among black women, youths and in small rural enterprises; and “Environmental Waste Management” which recognises organisations that focus on reducing or eliminating waste. All short listed Jet Community Awards candidates are visited by dedicated verification teams from Greater Good SA ahead of the selection process to ensure that each short listed project is both accountable and sustainable.

Since the Awards launched in 2003, Jet has continually increased its investment in the annual competition to the point where more than R1 million in prize money is currently being reinvested into worthy community initiatives via winning organisations. The 2008 Awards distributed more than R1 million in prize money, honouring 36 regional winners, and seven national winners in the process. The seven final winners each received R75,000 cash including R1,000 in Jet shopping vouchers.

Jet Club Manager, Tessa Lloyd believes that over the past six years the Awards platform has acted as a powerful vehicle for community upliftment. “The Jet Community Awards is the only award programme in Southern Africa that effectively identifies and supports community projects from grass roots up. Jet is committed to investing in the upliftment of our communities by providing vital funding where it is most needed. We are especially thrilled with the quality of entries for the 2008 Awards as more and more citizens from the competitions’ five participating countries are contributing to meaningful social transformation. We commend and congratulate our 2008 regional winners for their commitment to transforming lives and landscapes in their communities, and proving just how much can be achieved with little or no support.”

Chosen from thousands of worthy entries and 36 inspirational finalists, the national winners of the 2008 Jet Community Awards include the:
• Happy Day Créche from Klerksdorp in the North West Province (Education Category),
• The Solidarity Community Care Organisation from Namibia (We Care Category),
• The Ratanang Group for Children with Disabilities from Soweto in Gauteng (We Care Category),
• A.P.F. GLO Investments (Pty) Ltd in Francistown, Botswana (Vukuzenzele Women),
• The Mnweni Hiking and Cultural Centre from Bergville, Kwazulu Natal (Vukuzenzele Small Enterprise),
• Jerily Business Enterprise from Ha-Matlatla, Limpopo Province (Vukuzenzele Youth)
• Bonteheuwel Environment Forum of Bonteheuwel, Western Cape.

Lloyd concludes, “Through these Awards, Jet is privileged to be able to contribute to the outstanding social initiatives that have been spearheaded by extraordinary individuals to positively impact the lives of thousands of disadvantaged people across Southern Africa. We trust that the prize money we provide can go some way to address the lack of resources available and to help these tireless individuals who are making a real difference within the communities in which they live.”

Overview information on each category winner is included below.

Education Happy Day Créche: Klerksdorp, North West Province Happy Day Crèche has been offering Jouberton’s children in need a safe haven and school readiness training for the past 11 years. The crèche caters for 190 children between the ages of three and six years and aims to produce young learners who are excited about education. The main operation of the crèche is that of day care and school readiness training for young children. Teachers and the school’s principal work together to create an annual teaching plan aimed at addressing the needs of each of the schools five classes. In addition to the daily crèche activities, the school opens its doors after hours (from 4 to 7pm) to learners from local primary and senior schools who use the space as a quite place to study and receive homework assistance from older learners and FET college students. Parents who are unable to pay the crèche’s monthly fee of R100 per child are given opportunities to work off the cost of the fees at the crèche either by joining the schools sewing group or assisting with cooking and general maintenance. The crèche also operates a sewing group for mothers, who work on a volunteer basis. The women are taught basic sewing skills which they use to sew school uniforms for the children at the crèche.
We Care (a) Solidarity Community Care Organisation: Namibia Solidarity Community Care Organisation was formed in 2006 to make a meaningful contribution towards the fight against HIV/AIDS. Founder of the organisation, Constancio Mwandingi was diagnosed with HIV in 2004 and felt he needed to take what action he could to help reduce prevalence rates of the pandemic and give Namibia’s children a better future. Solidarity Community Care now consists of 125 community members and operates in four regions in Namibia (Khomas, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Oshana). 91 of the volunteer members have been trained in HIV/AIDS and home-based care. They currently reach more than 1,000 community members on a monthly basis. The areas of operation were identified according to the highest prevalence rates based on 2006 statistics and according to the requests for training and support from surrounding communities. Solidarity Community Care aims to expand their services to other areas as their capacity improves.
We Care (b) Ratanang Group for Children with Disabilities: Soweto, Gauteng The Ratanang Group for Children with Disabilities was started in 1994 by a group of woman who met at a support group for mothers with children diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at Baragwaneth Hospital. Ratanang aim’s to help families, particularly mothers, to better cope with their disabled children at home and therefore reduce the number of children being institutionalized. The Centre, which operates from a building on the grounds of Chris Hani Baragwaneth Hospital, offers a loving environment for the children where they receive the daily physical and intellectual stimulation they need. Ratanang currently provides day care to 27 children between the ages of three and 24 years and supports an additional 20 children and their families through monthly support groups. Ratanang has 10 staff, five of who are care workers who have received training in basic care and physiotherapy and are experienced in working with children with Cerebral Palsy. Children receive specialised care (feeding, changing) as well as basic physiotherapy. Each child in the group is accompanied by a carer to physiotherapy every month to observe their session and learn how best to support the child’s therapy during the following weeks.
Vukuzenzele (Women) A.P.F. GLO Investments (Pty) Ltd: Francistown, Botswana Gloria, founder of APF Glo Investments, was inspired to start her own business to overcome the disadvantaged circumstances in which she grew up. Her father moved to Botswana as a refugee from South Africa and their family survived by selling tomatoes in their neighbourhood, with Gloria assisting in the family business and growing up without any formal schooling. Gloria enjoyed the entrepreneurial activities of her childhood and chose to establish a tuck shop four years ago. Gloria employed four women through her first tuck shop, before starting a second tuck shop in another section of Francistown, which employs two additional staff. Demonstrating a strong orientation for community development, Gloria donated her third tuck shop to Young Women’s Manyano as an income generating project for this community organisation at which Gloria is a volunteer. The organisation is a Methodist church initiative and focuses on HIV/AIDS awareness and poverty alleviation.
Vukuzenzele (Small Enterprise) Mnweni Hiking and Cultural Center: Bergville, KwaZulu Natal The Mnweni Hiking and Cultural Centre is a 100% community-owned and community-run enterprise offering visitors basic accommodation, outdoor and cultural activities and access to the rare San rock art found in the caves in the area. Opened in September 2002 with the assistance of Rand Water and the KwaZulu Natal Department of Environment and Tourism, the Centre is overseen by a fulltime Manager, and includes seven permanent staff and eight fulltime guides. Mnweni Hiking and Cultural Centre offers 20 beds located in four rondavels and enough camping space for another 100 people. The main activities offered by the Centre include hiking, horse riding and motor-biking. Trained local guides are available to take visitors on single day or overnight hiking trips that are tailored to the needs of the group. The Centre runs a school group programme in conjunction with an outdoor adventure company where visiting learners interact with children from the local schools. Local school children also have free access to a small library at the Centre’s which contains a set of encyclopedias and books about the environment. Visitors to the Centre are also invited to take part in local cultural celebrations and children from the local school regularly perform music and Zulu Dancing at the Centre.
Vukuzenzele (Youth) Jerily Business Enterprise: Ha-Matlatla, Limpopo Lisbert Manamela established Jerily Business Enterprise last year as a means of offering IT services and computer literacy training to the local Ha-Matlatla community. Lisbert, who has completed an IT course at Wits University as well as a “computer driving license” course in Pretoria, is qualified to offer ISETT accredited training and sees computer literacy as key to increasing people’s productivity and marketability in nearby Polokwane (about 60 kms away). The business operates an accredited computer training centre, as well as providing typing and photocopying services. Two fulltime staff are employed as trainers for the two computer courses, which include a basic computer literacy course and a diploma course. Both courses consist of theoretical and practical exercises and are accredited by Information Systems Electronics and Telecommunication Technologies (ISETT) SETA. Typing and photocopying services are accessible to anyone in the community and Lisbert keeps charges at a minimal fee. At present, at least three of the 13 people who have attended training at Jerily Business Enterprise in the past year have found employment in Polokwane.
Environmental Waste Management Bonteheuwel Environment Forum: Bonteheuwel, Western Cape The Bonteheuwel Environment Forum works closely with the local Council to improve the community environment through prevention of illegal dumping sites and the establishment of a food garden, children’s play areas and parks. The produce from the food garden is used for feeding schemes, sold to the community at below market rates and used to supplement the incomes of the community members who are paid by the Council to keep Bonteheuwel clean. Seedlings from the garden are also donated to community members who are involved in the project. The group has worked with the Council to install street lighting and floodlights in parks, and their partnership with Council has also created jobs to keep parks and community facilities clean.