From the 10 computers and a TV donated to Jarvis Gqamlana Lower Primary School in the Western Cape in July 2013, to those donated to Philena Primary in Olievenhoutbosch in August of the same year, Ellerines has challenged each of its stores to regularly contribute to those communities in which they operate.
Now, a new store, Ellerines Kwa-Guqa in Witbank, has come to the fore with a contribution of its own. As part of its grand opening CSI initiative, the store has committed to donating a fridge, stove and microwave to Besilindile Primary School on March 24 at 10:00, as well as 28 foam mattresses to the Ethembeni Children’s Haven on March 25 at 14:00.
This type of community investment is certainly not a first in the South African context, but though big corporates tend to commit to these initiatives in monetary terms, few see the value in contributing their time. Ellerines is committed to injecting more than just cash into underprivileged communities and takes the words of Anita Roddick (Business as Usual) to heart: “The business of business should not be about money, it should be about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed.”
The state of ‘public good’ is on the up and up, as government has dictated the necessity of CSI initiatives to the private sector.
However, for many corporates in the retail sector, filtering this mandate down into store level is met with only grudging enthusiasm. Ellerines is proud to declare that its employees, including all of the staff in its stores across the nation, understand the value of CSI as an economy booster and team-builder in their own communities.
They embrace this initiative with passion and commit to it wholeheartedly, something that is quite apparent in the amount of time and the number of resources they are willing to donate to just one local school.
