| Corporate Social Responsibility
Credit Guarantee’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme is managed by a committee made up of an executive director, two EXCO members and staff. Every year this committee faces considerable challenges in identifying worthy beneficiaries of the CSI allocation.
In principle, we try to limit cash donations and to direct the greater portion of the budget towards projects that prove to have an immediate, visible and longer term benefit to the communities they serve.
In terms of the Financial Sector Charter, 0,5% of the previous years profits is committed to CSI spend during fiscal 2009. However, having recognised that the 0,5% would result in the company having to reduce our assistance to some institutions, a recommendation was made to increase the amount to R 750 000,00.
The scope of the programme covers the following segments:
- Education
- Training
- Development Programmes
- Environment
- Job creation
- Art/Culture
- Health
- Sport
The majority of the CSI Programmes’ budget is allocated to bursaries, which encompasses the education and skills training facets of the programme. They are offered to both internal as well as external candidates.
The external bursaries are offered to students who are studying Credit Management and / or Export Management.
Donations
Smaller donations were made to the following institutions in 2009:
- Salvation Army
- CANSA
- Teddy Bear Clinic
- SPCA Roodepoort Mobile Clinic Programme
- Criminon
- St Lukes Hospice
- Radio Jacaranda’s ‘Santa’ Programme
- Randburg CPF’s Children’s Christmas Party
Projects
Indoni Secondary School – ongoing support
This school is situated in Zone 10 Meadowlands, Soweto. This school is literally a ‘gem’ in a bleak landscape, run by a fantastic headmaster and supported by a wonderful group of educators and parents body. Although the school only goes up to Grade 9, it nevertheless provides facilities for the other senior schools (up to Matric) around the area to utilise. Besides the obvious education responsibilities, the school undertakes support for and of child headed families, where parents have passed on. It also runs a feeding programme to provide many children with at least one nutritious meal per day. Credit Guarantee provides the school with Makro vouchers for food purchases.
As mentioned in our 2008 Annual Report, there would be a carry-over of work into the 2009 year. We completed the refurbishment of an old classroom into a new computer centre and set it up with 24 new PC’s; 3 laptops (for the headmaster and department heads) as well as all relevant software. Training was extended to various educators on the software packages, to ensure that learners would benefit to the fullest. Further expenditure was allocated to:
- Upgrading the security of the building
- Contracting a security provider for 12 months
- Installation of blinds
With increasing focus falling on Matric pass rates and knowing that Indoni opens its doors to Matrics in the surrounding areas, Credit Guarantee has provided extensive support for the school by way of providing physical teaching aids (models) such as a complete human skeleton, models of the eye, the ear, the digestive system etc.
Hitekani Primary School – further support
This school in Tshiawelo – Soweto was aided with the construction and installation of cupboards and book cases along the length of all 12 classrooms. This has brought about a significant improvement in the comfort, appearance and pride of both learners and school.
Arts/Culture
Rena Le Lona
This is an after care centre for both primary & high school children from Diepkloof and also provides a daily meal and a safe environment for the children. It is a creative centre that exposes the children to various forms of the arts. There are approximately 100 children in the after care centre at any given time. Credit Guarantee has supported this venture by supplying:
- Polar fleeces
- Heaters
- Printers
- Games and sporting equipment
- Mugs
Renovation of:
- Gutters
- Internal doors
- Carpets
Health
Footprint Centre
This is a Hospice situated in Orlando East. It is a 24 bed facility divided into 4 wards. Typically 65% of their patients will have HIV/AIDS and the remainder will have other illnesses such as cancer or heart disease. Since opening in 2004 they have provided care to nearly 400 patients and they have been able to rehabilitate and discharge approximately ¼ of those patients. This Hospice was founded by retired nurses in an attempt to decrease the number of persons expiring without any sort of medical care or aid. During 2009, we have now completed all of their flooring needs for their new premises.
Ann Harding Cheshire Home
It is one of 16 service centres in South Africa and was established in 1973. They provide 24 hour care and accommodation to the physically disabled residents, all of whom live on the premises.
Credit Guarantee arranged and paid for the repair to the facilities cold room, which permits perishables and other foodstuffs to be stored for longer periods. In order to fill the repaired cold room, a substantial donation of food was arranged.
Food Parcels/ Contributions to feeding schemes
Many benevolent organisations do not have the money to provide basic meals for the people they take care of. Credit Guarantee has embarked on a programme of delivering ‘food parcels’ or making quartley contributions to their in-house feeding schemes
- Sparrow Ministries Rainbow Village – caring for adults and children with HIV / AIDS.
- Footprint Centre
- Rena la Lona
- Ebenezer
Sport
St Georges Football Club
Credit Guarantee continued its support in 2009 and the following was paid for:
- Affiliation fees
- Player cards
Infrastructure Development
Abraham Kriel Children’s Home
Abraham Kriel Childcare makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the children in their care as well as affected and involved families and communities by:
- Providing a wide spectrum of appropriate services;
- Protecting the rights of the child;
Credit Guarantee refurbished two of the children’s homes namely: House De Villiers and House Bouwer.
Environment
FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
FreeMe is a rehabilitation centre for indigenous wildlife based in the north of Johannesburg. It was founded in 1997 by a group of trained rehabilitators who realised that there was not enough organised care for suburban indigenous wildlife
Credit Guarantee supported them in 2009 by purchasing a 3 door cooler that they desperately needed.
Due to our desire to ensure that the projects have a worthwhile and material benefit to the people they serve, a considerable amount of time is devoted to onsite visits and the procurement of materials etc.
The real reward however, is to be seen in the faces of the children; in the heartfelt thanks expressed in letters and emails and of course in the knowledge that we as a company have helped numerous sick and elderly people.
“Doing is so much better than talking.”
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