Celebrating 15 years of Cell C’s Take a Girl Child to Work Day

Cell C recently launched its Take a Girl Child to Work Day campaign in Sandton, with Susan Shabangu, Minister of Women in the Presidency and this year’s goodwill ambassador and spokesperson for the campaign, with Miss South Africa 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, in attendance.

This year marks the 15th year that Cell C has taken the lead in empowering young women by exposing them to real workplace experiences. Over the years, Cell C’s initiative has become a well-respected movement that affords grades 10 to 12 girls the chance to experience a day in the workplace first-hand and a glimpse at the possibilities available to them.

For many, the day spent in the working world shadowing top executives and entrepreneurs opens up a world of hope and dreams. Cell C first introduced the campaign to South African businesses and government communities in 2003 and, last year, more than 700 corporates volunteered to host around 50 000 school girls across South Africa.

“Cell C is dedicated to the development and empowerment of young people both inside and outside the company, and we are committed to encouraging the youth to achieve their full potential,” said Suzette van der Merwe, managing executive of the Cell C Foundation.

Read Take A Girl Child to Work campaign a success

The Cell C Girl Child Bursary Fund affords South African companies and the general public an oppportunity to contribute towards the tertiary education and training of qualifying girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“We believe that offering bursaries provide a long-term investment in achieving the goal of empowering women in South Africa. Cell C fully supports women and youth empowerment initiatives and recognises the contributions women are making to the organisation as well as the country,” said Van der Merwe

One of the programme’s alumni, Mulalo Nekhumbe, for example, spent her day at auditors Ernst and Young. Today she is an investment banker working in mergers and the acquisition of companies.

Cell C has invested 15 years in the commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women through education. The Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day initiative has been voted as one of the country’s ‘single largest collaborative acts of volunteerism’ by Brands and Branding South Africa.

This year’s Cell C Take A Girl Child To Work Day initiative will be celebrated on 25 May.

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