Money raised to help the drought-hit
Shoprite and Checkers customers have helped raise R200 000 for drought-stricken communities.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/04/checkerd_45309.jpg)
SHOPRITE and Checkers customers have helped raise R200 000 for drought-stricken communities across South Africa over two months since March 2016. The funds raised will be used to drill new boreholes, refurbish broken ones, as well as to support recovery efforts in severely impacted communities.
The Gift of the Givers Foundation as well as Agri South Africa, two organisations that have coordinated some of the strongest responses to the drought crisis to date, have partnered with the Shoprite Group to ensure that the generous donation of many South Africans make a real, practical impact in the communities most affected by the drought.
The Shoprite Group has a long history of reaching out to communities impacted by disasters. The group had already donated more than a half a million litres of water to various towns in the Free State, North West and KwaZulu-Natal since February this year.
However, when customers started enquiring about how they could get involved, the retailer quickly introduced a till-point donation facility called the #ActForChange Fund, to give customers an opportunity to respond. Customers are able to donate to the fund by adding R5 or more to their purchases at any Shoprite or Checkers till point across the country.
For Neil Schreuder, marketing director at Shoprite, customers nationwide have demonstrated their desire to act for change through their generous donations. “Each donation is critical, as it serves to bolster the work already being done to address the impact of the drought. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our customers who donated. Each small donation goes a long way in effecting change.”
The establishment of the #ActForChange Fund has made it easier for ordinary people to make a difference in their local communities. Responding to the devastating drought is just one example of how the fund will be used to support local communities. Going forward, the fund will specifically focus on alleviating hunger in local communities in partnership with FoodBank South Africa. This is in line with the Shoprite Group’s core focus on fighting hunger across South Africa.
You can still act for change in your local community by simply donating R5 or more at any Shoprite or Checkers till point across the country.
(Information provided by Charmaine Gxasheka from Brand Publicity Assistant)