The Starfish Greathearts Foundation recently hosted their annual general meeting (AGM) at their offices in Sandton.
The 16th AGM took place on 5 December and discussed various aspects of the organisation and was attended by board members, staff and other interested parties.
Established in 2001 by South African expats in the United Kingdom, Starfish Greathearts Foundation works to strengthen the capacities of community-based organisations to deliver best-practice, research-informed, evidence-based childcare services.
The company is based in five provinces in the country and assist thousands of children through community-based organisations.
They are focused on the five core domains for healthy development which include, health, nutrition, responsive care, safety and security and learning and stimulation. Edwin Corbett, CEO of Starfish Greathearts Foundation said the company is a non-profit company which is a single chapter in a four-chapter operation based in other countries.
The AGM was for the year 2017/2018 and in Corbett’s report, he said that Starfish Greathearts Foundation has positively impacted the lives of 15 780 orphaned and vulnerable children and more than 35 000 adults during the financial year. “When I joined Starfish in January 2018, I was greeted by an expectant board and an anxious team.”
Corbett said they bid farewell to several staff members and in January 2018. Deloitte and Touche notified Starfish that after years of pro bono services, they were unable to audit the organisation without costs.
“Immediate priorities included strengthening relationships with our international chapters, decentralising power to evoke the team’s ownership of the organisation’s outcome and impact and ensuring effective governance,” said Corbett.
The chairperson, Sbu Manqele said there are two important things they are looking at. “It is critical for us to remain relevant on what we do on a daily basis.”
The other one is sustainability which is very important for the organisation.
In his report, he said he would like to wholeheartedly thank the team at Starfish for the dedication that often goes unnoticed and perseverance when operating in an environment where they constantly must justify what they do to attract support.
Melissa Chetty, operations manager said Starfish runs three programmes during the year to assist children in the country. “A wellness programme, a capacity building programme, and an HIV adherence programme.”
She provided some statistics: 40 per cent of children are orphaned, 58 000 live in a child-headed household, 65 per cent live below poverty line, with 30 per cent of them living in households where no adults are employed. “We need to empower the community-based organisations.”
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