Cross sector partnership is the way to go
JOBURG - Since the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) which was held in Johannesburg in 2002, cross-sector partnerships have become increasingly prevalent.
They have been adopted by many governments, businesses, civil society groups and international agencies as a mechanism for dealing with environmental, economic and social development challenges. This according to a case study titled, Current practice in the evaluation of cross-sector partnerships for sustainable development, which is being put into practice by Tsogo Sun in its far-reaching Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programmes.
Tsogo Sun’s commitment to sustainable development is reflected through a number of programmes, namely the Tsogo Sun CSI programme, Tsogo Sun Environmental Management and Tsogo Sun Entrepreneurs.
“It is our partnerships and collaborations that have allowed these programmes to expand their offerings and affect a larger number of participants than we could have reached on our own,” said Vusi Dlamini, Tsogo Sun Group HR Director.
The group’s CSI programmes affect over 35 000 students, 1 000 teachers and 310 schools in under-developed communities. The programmes focus on the long-term holistic development of an individual child, including life-skills, talent identification, education and leadership through the soccer, chess, learning and arts programmes.
The Absa Financial Literacy programme falls within this sphere. “When the opportunity to partner with Absa was presented to us, we immediately realised that the collaboration would add significant value within our CSI programme,” said Shanda Paine, Tsogo Sun Group CSI Manager.
Absa’s programme is a classroom-type educational tool referred to as Bubomi, a Xhosa word meaning, ‘it is life’.
“In conjunction with Tsogo Sun’s CSI programme, our financial literacy programme aims to create basic financial awareness and the tools to build a greater understanding for these children’s futures, fulfilling both organisations’ sustainability goals,” says Charles Reed, head of Community Investment, Barclays Africa.
Twanano Ndobe a Mafaese Secondary School learner, has been part of Tsogo Sun’s Soccer Academy since 2010 and recently participated in the Absa Financial Literacy programme. Ndobe said: “This programme has taught me to budget, why I should save, as well as the difference between a need and a want. I want to take what I have learnt home to tell my parents, to help them, but also to show what I have learnt through the programme besides soccer.”
In its pilot phase, the collaboration around this financial literacy programme has reached more than 600 learners.
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