Business responds to call for aid
The Durban business community responded to the appeal for donations for those affected by heavy rains in April.
FOLLOWING the devastation caused by the recent flooding and heavy rainfall in and around Durban, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry called on all its members and the local business community at large to mobilise in support of the local communities affected by this natural disaster.
The Durban Chamber has received donations and support from members and businesses around the region such as Sumitomo Rubber South Africa, Southern African Shipyards, SPAR South Africa and Lenmed eThekwini Hospital and Heart Centre.
Sumitomo Rubber South Africa donated R50 000 towards the #DurbanFloods.
The Durban Chamber brought the My Spaza Development Programme on board to facilitate the purchase of food hampers to be donated towards #DurbanFloods. The My Spaza Development Programme, which is based in Umlazi P section, is a programme in support of local spaza shops in rural and townships areas. My Spaza achieves this by offering franchise opportunities to social entrepreneurs who aspire to own a spaza shop in their township or rural area. This encourages local citizens to buy proudly South African products and utilise local services, thus creating a thriving and sustainable entrepreneurship culture locally, which promotes job and opportunity creation and circulates wealth within local communities.
Sakhile Madonsela from the My Spaza Development Programme said: “My Spaza is excited to be part of social development initiatives for flood victims as well as spaza shop owners. We call on more organisations to invest back into communities.”
Palesa Phili, Chief Executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thanked Sumitomo Rubber South Africa for their contribution towards the #DurbanFloods as well as the My Spaza programme for channelling their funds through local business.
“It is vital to support local businesses, hence, we decided to partner with the My Spaza programme to purchase food items from spaza shops. The money was spread among ten spaza shops who were tasked to provide ten food hampers each. Each spaza shop received R5 000,” said Phili.
She said the Durban Chamber is grateful to the Gift of the Givers Foundation for partnering with the Durban Chamber to distribute the donated food items to the survivors of the flood. “The Durban Chamber is pleased to be working with organisations that actively practice the Durban Chamber’s vision, which is to be in business for a better world,” concluded Phili.
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