Impoverished communities in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces are benefitting from Ford’s annual Global Caring Month in September, with 19 non-profit organisations (NPOs) receiving a total of R2-million in grants from the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Global Caring Month isn’t simply about providing money though, as the beneficiaries are nominated by Ford employees and dealers, who also volunteer their time, skills and passion to help the under-resourced organisations achieve their goals.
This year’s initiative tackled some of the most pressing challenges in the country – from feeding the hungry to repairing education facilities, distributing reusable sanitary pads to give school girls the dignity and opportunity for learning, and facilitating skills development as a tool for much-needed economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.
“Our annual Global Caring Month in September is always a special time for the Ford team, as we concentrate our efforts to go out and improve the lives of others,” says Neale Hill, President, Ford Motor Company Africa. “Giving back to the community is an essential part of our business, as it reinforces our commitment to caring for each other and creating a brighter future for the country.
“Although we support a wide range of projects throughout the year, Global Caring Month is something we all look forward to as we get hands-on to make a real difference in our local communities,” Hill says. “Whether it’s refurbishing a classroom or sports facilities, delivering reusable sanitary pads, or giving people the training and skills to start their own business, we all have an important role to play in empowering and uplifting the people of South Africa.”
Six NPOs in Gauteng received grants from the Ford Fund and benefitted from the assistance provided by the Ford volunteers. This included The Cradle of Hope community feeding scheme in Krugersdorp which provides hundreds of hungry adults and children with a meal each day. “Thank you so much for the wonderful donation as part of your Global Caring Month campaign,” Melodie van Brakel, CEO and founder of The Cradle of Hope, said. “Please know that your donation and support has made it easier for us to improve the quality of life of those who need it the most.”
In Pretoria, the Molo Brass Band project in the suburb of East Lynne received a grant to strengthen its programme that encourages youth to find meaningful ways of getting involved in community projects, and thus avoid becoming involved in crime and drugs.
Sports facilities were painted and sporting goods handed over to Motheo Primary School in Mamelodi, near Ford’s Silverton Assembly Plant, while playground equipment received a splash of colourful paint and projectors were provided to Dr Havinga Primary School in Witpoortjie on the West Rand.
In Lenasia, Mount Olive Outreach introduced a HIV and COVID-19 awareness and prevention education programme to help young people make healthy decisions, while distributing hygiene packs and providing psychological support for HIV-positive residents.
At Irene Homes in Centurion, work was done on enhancing a recreational area for the facility which cares for intellectually disabled women. Estelle van Schoor, CEO of Irene Homes, said: “One person can make a difference in somebody else’s life, but a society that joins forces and unites can change a whole world. Through Ford’s Global Caring Month, you have shown understanding, compassion and love to Irene Home’s residents! We say thank you. You have changed lives.”
Nelson Mandela Bay
In Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) near Ford’s Struandale Engine Plant, six beneficiary NPOs received Ford Fund grants and hands-on support from Ford employees. One of the biggest Global Caring Month projects for 2022 was implemented at the Association for the Physically Disabled, where an unused space was refurbished and fully equipped to become a Sewing Skills Development Centre for the ongoing training of underprivileged and unemployed youth with physical disabilities.
Skills development was also the focus at the Al-Fidaa Foundation, where 12 unemployed young women were sponsored for a four-week Home Bakers course facilitated by qualified chefs, giving them the training to start their own home baking business. “The Ford Fund grant and the support from the Ford team is making a real difference in our communities in Gqeberha which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country,” said Mohammed Matvad, Public Relations officer at Al-Fidaa Foundation. “One of the most effective ways we can tackle this is by stimulating growth in our economy and promoting entrepreneurship so more people become self-employed, and this is what our skills development projects do with grants like this from Ford.”
Cupcakes were baked by the Home Bakers students in conjunction with Ford employees at the Al-Fidaa Foundation Baking School, which were then handed out to the excited learners at Protea Primary School which caters for special needs children. Protea Primary also received its own grant to erect two new classrooms, repair ceilings and floors of existing facilities and build additional toilets.
Repair and maintenance projects were undertaken at three non-profit organisation facilities in Gqeberha to provide a safe and welcoming environment for beneficiaries, including the SOS Children’s Village, Indlela Mental Health and Sunshine Day Care.
Going above and beyond
Ford dealers also jumped at the opportunity to give back to their communities for Global Caring Month. Sentracor Ford Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal nominated Al Baaz Al Ashab for a Ford Fund grant to bolster its feeding scheme that provides meals for approximately 500 people per day.
Human Auto in Bloemfontein helped secure a grant for Engo, a welfare organisation in the Free State that provides care and counselling to children, families, the elderly and the disabled. With assistance from the volunteer team, a family care and child assessment room was built and wheelchairs were provided for the elderly.
Motus Ford Germiston partnered with Lambano Sanctuary, with the grant and volunteer efforts supporting the NPO’s holistic care for children who suffer with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness as well as supporting their families. “There is no other way to fully express our gratitude,” said Tracy Mahlatji, Manager of Lambano Sanctuary. “We at Lambano are continually inspired by the dedication and generosity of companies like Ford which answer the call to give and invest in the health, growth, and wellbeing of the community.”
Ford Fund also provided four ‘Gratitude Grants’ for NPOs working tirelessly to support their communities. These grants were initiated in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when volunteer programmes weren’t possible, and enhance the exceptional work done by these community organisations.
The development foundation of the Ntombam Group received a grant for its campaign to keep girls in school. The funding is used to manufacture and distribute sanitary towels to female learners in East London, many of whom cannot afford these basic feminine products and miss important school days as a result. The organisation also obtained a grant to support a feeding project for underprivileged children in Gqeberha.
Soqaqamba Home in Cookhouse, Eastern Cape, was awarded a grant to refurbish the bathrooms, drainage system and septic tanks at the children’s home to improve their living conditions.
Furthermore, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) received a grant to implement its ‘Period Poverty’ project to distribute reusable sanitary pads and soap, and to educate school girls on menstruation and health issues in Kutama, located in the Soutpansberg region in Limpopo. EWT is also introducing a ‘Water, Health and Hygiene’ (WASH) project to install so-called ‘tippy taps’ at schools in the area that don’t have existing water infrastructure, using a bucket system to provide running water for the children to wash their hands and reduce the spread of diseases, including COVID-19.
