Afrox treats disadvantaged children to a day of fun
Initially launched in 1994, Bumbanani Day was acknowledged by the United Nations in 1995 as an excellent example of a social development initiative.
Over 2 000 disadvantaged and underprivileged children across southern Africa were entertained by Afrox volunteer staff and treated to fun, games, outings and goodie bags on Saturday as part of the company’s annual Bumbanani Day nation-wide celebrations.
In Brakpan, children from the Siyabonga Children’s Cottages were treated to a fun day at the Sankt Georg Riding School and Stable Yard in Rand Collieries by the IT department of Afrox, in Johannesburg.
The children’s home, situated in Germiston, has 36 children aged between eight months and 21 years in its care.
Bumbanani Day, meaning ‘let’s build together’ in Zulu, marks the culmination of fund-raising activities and physical support provided by Afrox employees to various orphanages and childcare organisations throughout the year.
Nemenita Mohabir, corporate social responsibility manager at Afrox, explained that the Bumbanani Day initiative is part of Afrox’s Corporate Volunteering Programme.
At the beginning of each year, employees at all Afrox branches are empowered by the company to consult with community leaders in selecting projects and, once chosen, work directly with the organisation on an ongoing basis.
This year, Afrox staff members identified 44 projects, 39 in South Africa and five in neighbouring countries, that will have a huge impact on more than 2 000 underprivileged children.
Throughout the year, individual volunteer committees oversee fund-raising events such as cake and hotdog sales, collection drives and visits to the selected homes and shelters to provide nurturing and support.
“In addition to the funds raised by employees throughout the year, Afrox donates a set amount for each project which can then be used either towards a celebratory day in the form of Bumbanani Day or for the organisation’s needs,” said Mohabir.
“However, it is the time and effort liberally given by Afrox employees in raising money, painting facilities and involvement in sustainable projects that cater to the needs of their chosen institutions that makes the project successful.”
Initially launched in 1994, Bumbanani Day was acknowledged by the United Nations in 1995 as an excellent example of a social development initiative.
According to Mohabir, it allows Afrox employees to positively influence their external environment, stakeholders and surrounding communities by not just donating money, but also their personal time.
To date, Afrox employees have spent over 15 000 hours interacting with disadvantaged children throughout the country.
In addition to the monetary donations, Afrox also supplies free LPG gas for the preparation and heating of food to a number of feeding schemes.
Corporate social investment has always been part of Afrox’s business ethos and Bumbanani Day is one of a number of Afrox’s corporate social investment (CSI) projects.
In 2016, Afrox spent R3.4-million on CSI activities and maintains a target of donating at least one per cent of their previous year’s net profit after tax to social investment initiatives.
Besides Bumbanani Day, Afrox’s CSI initiatives extend to three other main areas:
• Donations, support and sponsorship towards the growth of welding schools and skills development.
• Enterprise supplier development to help and develop stakeholders the company does business with, particularly those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Tertiary education sponsorship by directly sponsoring children of Afrox employees to obtain a tertiary education in a wide range of fields.
“We truly believe that ‘small acts of kindness, when multiplied by hundreds of people, can transform the world’,” added Mohabir.
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