On the eve of National Women’s Day and with Women’s Month in full swing, the inaugural SheEO SleepOut 2017 was launched on 8 August at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein.
This brainchild of the hugely popular CEO SleepOut event was founded by social innovator and entrepreneur, Ali Gregg.
The CEO SleepOut was launched in Sandton in 2015, raising more than R26 million for the year’s primary beneficiary, Girls and Boys Town South Africa. This private child care organisation, which is the largest in South Africa, was established by Bishop Reginald Orsmond in 1958.
In 2016, the CEO SleepOut found its home on the Nelson Mandela Bridge. Over R35 million was awarded to charity, with the primary mandate of raising awareness and creating sustainable change for vulnerable communities in South Africa. According to the organisers, the event chose to focus on women this year, given the recent spotlight on violence against women, as well as the lack of diversity in the boardroom.
Yolisa Kani, head of Public Policy at Uber South Africa, said it was important to acknowledge that the issue of homelessness is bigger than what it’s said to be. “We have statistics for almost everything, but when it comes to the number of people that are homeless, it’s an assumption. It says 200 000, yet nobody can confirm this. And personally, I think that’s the first problem.
“We’re hoping that the money that will be raised will not only help with the upkeep of the selected homes but will also help with research because you can’t solve something unless you know the magnitude of the problem. For me, that’s one of the most important things that we can achieve through this initiative. You never know what could happen in the future.”
Pridwin Preparatory hosts SleepOut™ to create empathy for the homeless
Even tough she is not in the same situation, Kani explained that it is important to know how it feels to be on the other side. It might lead big companies in our country to ask what is our shared value? “What else can we bring to our communities other than selling a service or a product.”
Former Miss South Africa and Head of Public Sector Finance at Investec, Nonhlanhla Khumalo said, “It’s a huge honour to be part of the initiative. At some point in my life, I had nothing.”
Commenting on the SleepOut initiative Khumalo said sustainability is key. “It’s more about sustainability and making sure that these… socio-economic issues we face as a country, are topical at all times.”
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