To celebrate Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday on 18 July, South African businesses were asked to commit 67 minutes of their time by giving back to the community and assisting those less fortunate than themselves. Inter-Active Technologies chose Ikageng Ministries as the organisation that would benefit from their community service and decided to host 67 of their orphans in honour of Mandela Day.
Ikageng Ministries, a registered NGO, was founded in 2002 by Carol Dyantyi, and looks after approximately 1 700 HIV/Aids orphans. As well as ensuring that these children have a roof over their heads, food to eat and are given a good education, Ikageng also provides food and support to 310 children-headed households in the area.
According to Dyantyi, one of Ikageng's main goals is to get these children out of the 'poverty cycle mentality' by educating them. She feels that with a sufficient education base, these children will be able to improve their lives, and thus the lives of their families - instead of perpetuating the cycle of poverty that they are presently trapped in.
Like Dyantyi, Kat Fouche, General Manager Training and Quality at Inter-Active Technologies, believes that with the right education and tools, these children will be able to make the best of the situations that they find themselves in. As such, she decided to teach the orphans her Illuminate course during their time with the company. “Most of the children have had a great deal of hardships in their short lives, and I believe that it is important for them to be able to see a more positive future for themselves,” explains Fouche, who was instrumental in co-ordinating this initiative.
COO of Inter-Active Technologies, Gwen de Sa, couldn't agree more. “Inter-Active Technologies believes strongly in the development of people. These youngsters have so much promise and potential, we really wanted to assist them to grow.”
The afternoon included the handing over of many donations from some very generous sponsors, including MTN and MultiChoice - who donated school bags and various stationary; Ster Kinekor Cinemas provided promotional goodies for the day and have also sponsored a free screening of 'White Wedding'; the OMSA Group donated R3 500 worth of food supplies; and Cresta Shopping Centre sponsored R2 500's worth of much-needed toiletries and supplies for the children.
The remainder of the day was spent watching the DVD of The Secret, followed by a workshop where trainers, speakers and coaches worked with the children to help them to see the power of positive thinking in their own lives. “It took just 67 minutes, but it touched 67 souls. It is about giving 67 souls a message of hope, positive thinking and a proactive action plan for them to take back with them,” concludes Fouche.
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